Playhouse Talkback

The Westport Country Playhouse Thursday night held a "TalkBack at the Playhouse" in which artists and audiences have an opportunity to discuss the current play, "The Member of the Wedding." Pictured (l-r) are: Joanne Woodward, director; Liz Morton, Frankie; Jack Metzger, John Henry; LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Berenice; Edward O'Blenis, Honey. "The Member of the Wedding" runs through Sunday. . (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed Photo

Soldier in Afghanistan Thanks Westport Boy for Thoughtfulness

A soldier from North Carolina stationed in Afghanistan today publicly thanked a 12-year-old Westport boy for his thoughtfulness in sending goodies to him and his army buddies.

Ryan Maltba, 20, sent best wishes to Alex Bloch at the end of a report in today's Charlotte Observer on the activities of his Company B, 391st Engineer Battalion of the Army Reserves. He has filed periodic reports to the newspaper since being deployed to Afghanistan in April.

"Special thanks to Alex Bloch of Westport, Conn., who used his own money earned from his 12th birthday to purchase goods to send to soldiers who are deployed overseas," Maltba wrote.

"Your support and selfless-service at such a young age spoke volumes to us all and helped remind us of the magnitude of what we are doing over here. I cannot begin to thank you enough."

Roadside Beauty

Drivers along Westport's Green's Farms Road have long enjoyed the beauty of this roadside display of flowers. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Ron Malone for WestportNow.com

Friday, Aug. 12, 2005

8 p.m. - Levitt Pavilion - Dave Mason Band benefit performance
8:30 p.m. - Westport Country Playhouse - The Member of the Wedding

Farrell Meets With Community Gardeners

By Jonathan Thrope

When Westport’s community gardeners were evicted from their plots at Wakeman Park six years ago, First Selectwoman Diane G. Farrell pledged that they would get a new home before her stay in Westport Town Hall was up. With three months remaining in her term, she is still trying to see that her pledge becomes a reality.
Westport First Selectwoman Diane G. Farrell meets with community gardeners tonight at Town Hall. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Ron Malone for WestportNow.com

Tonight, she, along with Parks and Recreation Director Stuart McCarthy and Public Works Director Steve Edwards, met at Town Hall with about 15 members of the Community Garden Project to discuss the garden’s future.

“I still want to see this thing done before I leave office,” Farrell told the group of anxious gardeners. “We will get this done,” she added later.

Three years ago, Westport’s Planning and Zoning Commission agreed that a section of the former Jaeger Property, at 11 Hyde Lane next to Long Lots Elementary School, would be allotted to the gardeners.

At tonight’s meeting, McCarthy presented a landscape plan for the Jaeger site that was drafted in June 2004. In the plan, 36 plots of land 20 ft. by 40 ft. were allotted to the gardeners along the eastern side of the property. Next to them, there would be two mid- size, multipurpose athletic fields.

However, according to Tor Sporre, co-chairman of the Westport Community Garden Project, the eastern side of the property is unacceptable due to the many Black Walnut trees that border the Eastern edge. Sporre said that gardens cannot be placed near Black Walnuts, as they render the surrounding soil almost impossible for plant growth.

Because of this problem, Farrell as well as the gardeners agreed that the garden should be located on the western edge of the property where there are no Black Walnut trees. Within the next few days, members of the Garden Project will be checking out the new location to make sure the duration of sunlight is adequate for growth.

The unusually high level of arsenic at the Jaeger property was also brought up at the meeting (See WestportNow July 27, 2005). No consensus was reached on what to do about it.

According to Public Works Director Steve Edwards, “There were a number of locations where the arsenic level was above the acceptable criterion for residential purposes.”

Spore said that the arsenic is not a problem at the newly resolved western site, though, and that it is only above level at the previously allotted eastern one. There was a general agreement that additional soil testing needs to be done before any final plans can be drafted.

Should the arsenic contamination prove to be a problem, the possible mitigation techniques include using raised soil beds, excavating and then diluting the existing soil, or excavating the current soil and bringing in completely new soil.

Farrell said that she would try to get the Community Garden Project on the Sept. 1 Planning and Zoning meeting agenda so that the new western site could gain approval. From there, the Community Garden Project will go through the bureaucratic maze that all projects on town-owned land must navigate.

Westport Country Playhouse to Hold Blood Drive

In an effort to support American troops, the Westport Country Playhouse, in cooperation with the American Red Cross, will host a blood drive on Monday, Aug. 29, from 1 to 6 p.m., the Playhouse announced today.

Anyone who donates blood will receive a buy-one, get-one-free ticket to “Journey’s’ End," playing at the Playhouse from Aug. 18 to Sept. 4, as well as a free Playhouse t-shirt.

“One of the easiest and best gifts we can give to our soldiers is to the blood bank,” Joanne Woodward, Playhouse artistic director, said in the announcement.

Although about 60 percent of Americans are eligible to donate blood, only 5 percent do. Anyone at least 17 years old and weighing 110 pounds or more is eligible to give blood.

The drive will be located in the Sheffer Rehearsal Studio, adjacent to the theatre. To schedule an appointment to give blood, go to www.givelife.org and enter “wplayhouse” as the sponsor code. For additional information, contact Beth Huisking, Playhouse Marketing Associate, at (203) 227-5173.

Westport Property Transfers Aug. 1-5, 2005

Property transfers as reported by the Westport Town Clerk's office for the period Aug. 1-5, 2005:

SRC LLC to Jennifer L. Stein, 12 Terhune Drive, $2,150,000

Mark S. and Raynor Cunningham to Brian F. and Anna T. Tobben, 4 Joann Circle, $1,200,000

Richard Ellenbogen and Debra Weissman to Jill E. Weinstein, 150 Bayberry Lane, $2,160,000

Brian J. and Helen H. Cleary to Richard Ellenbogen and Debra Weissman, 16 Fairfield Ave., $1,900,000

Mary Lee Stiegler to Kathleen S. and Carl J. Fazio, 9 Chapel Hill Road, $887,500

Joel H. and Jody B. Beck to Victoria A. and Kenneth Watterworth III, 2 Lookout Trail, $1,595,000

Donna M. Rose to Houda and Elias Jiser, 25 High Street, $605,000

Jay Ugol to Karen Preston, 12E Cross Highway, $610,000

Mark A. and Maryellen Trombetta to Gregory G. Gatta, 4 Highland Road, $754,000

Peter Ortali and Mary T. Odea to Michael and Sharon Krawiec, 18 Treadwell Ave., $920,000

Clarence J. and Marjorie M. Wall to David C. and Lisa Burns, 28 Clinton Ave., $825,000

Carol Shapiro to Scott Waller, 13 Hunting Lane, $809,000

Charles L. and Rhonda R. Quinn to Suzanne E. Harvey and James O. McCourt, 185 Compo Road South, $960,000

Peter and Paula Sherk to Adrienne A. Miller, 260 Hillspoint Road, $10,000

James Edward DeCourcy, Former Westport Editor, Dies at 93

James Edward DeCourcy, longtime New England weekly newspaper editor whose stints included time in Westport, died today in a New London, N.H. nursing home, the AP reported. He was 93.

Ed DeCourcy, as he was known, was editor of the now-defunct Westport Town Crier in the 1940s. He was editor of the Milford Citizen from 1949 to 1961.

Known for his defense of civil liberties, bow ties, fastidious grammar and graceful writing, DeCourcy retired in 1982 after 21 years as editor and publisher of the Newport (N.H.) Argus-Champion.

DeCourcy was born in Darien, where he attended Darien High School and began his journalism career as editor of the school newspaper. He also was a stringer for the Norwalk Hour.

Down by the River

Westporter Shelia Hudson Lee and family enjoyed some cooling moments in the Saugatuck River at Clinton Avenue. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Ron Malone for WestportNow.com

Police Nab Two on Possession of Burglar Tools

Westport police nabbed two men early today and charged them with possession of burglary tools, a police spokesman said. He said they acknowledged they planned to break in to the Country Store on Wilton Road.

George Hutchings, 39, of Stratford, and Daniel Zeleznik, 16, of Bridgeport, were arrested after Officer Ryan Paulsen pulled over their green van in the vicinity of the Country Store after he became suspicious about them and their vehicle, said spokesman Jerry Shannon.

"He patted Hutchings down and found a hammer in his pants," Shannon said. That prompted a closer look at the van where officers discovered ski masks, a pry bar, and other items.

Upon questioning, the pair admitted they intended to break in to the Country Store, which has been burglarized several times in the past, the spokesman said. He said detectives were trying to determine whether the men had been involved in the earlier incidents.

In addition to the possession of burglary tools charge, Hutchins was also charged with driving with a suspended license, conspiracy to commit burglary, and possession of a dangerous weapon, Shannon said, He was held on a $5,000 bond.

Zeleznik was held on a $250 bond on the possession of burglary tools charge, Shannon said.

"Field of Dreams" Synthetic Turf Project on Hold

An effort to install four synthetic turf playing fields in Westport by the Field of Dreams Committee will remain a dream for a little longer.

Town officials pulled a contract to install the turf on four athletic fields – two at Staples High School, one at Wakeman Park, and one behind Saugatuck Elementary School – from Wednesday's Board of Selectmen agenda.

First Selectwoman Diane G. Farrell said there were unresolved issues concerning bonding and financing by the company, Wayne, Pa.-based Sprinturf.

According to Parks and Recreation Director Stuart McCarthy, there were also concerns with the timetable that Sprinturf had set forth for construction on the Staples football field, the first of the four fields set to be renovated.

The construction plan that Sprinturf had presented would have forced all but two home football games to be moved off campus. If there were unforeseen construction or weather delays, the whole season could have gone by without a home game. McCarthy said that such a scenario was unacceptable.

He also said that Farrell has pledged to hold a special Board of Selectmen meeting should the contract be resolved anytime soon.

By this time though, McCarthy said it is likely that the Staples football field will not be constructed on until the summer of 2006. Should the contract be resolved, he said the first field to have turf installed on it will now be a soccer field at Wakeman Park.

The Field of Dreams project was estimated to cost $2.85 million, but the company agreed to reduce the cost to $1.55 million in exchange for a branding agreement. The Field of Dreams Committee had pledged to raise the money privately with the town picking up borrowing costs.

The town's funding bodies had approved advancing construction funds while the private money was being raised. However, this was the third time that the contract had been removed from the Board of Selectmen’s agenda due to contractual issues.

“It’s important that the town move forward with a contract that is reasonable and financially acceptable,” McCarthy said.
___
Jonathan Thrope contributed reporting for this article.

Memories: The Last Tango in Westport

By Dale Eyerly Colson

In the 1950s and 1960s, Miss Irene Comer was a woman with a mission -- to pass along the glamorous and, at the time, socially necessary skills of ballroom dancing to Westport's reluctant young.
A 1957 Westport birthday party for a teenage girl. (CLICK TO ENLARGE). EstherBubley.com photo

Our parents actually paid Miss Comer money to transform their otherwise happily innocent, pubescent seventh and eighth grade children into young ladies and young gentlemen through the magic of formal ballroom dancing classes and a mastery of the social graces.

It should go without saying that we had less than no interest in learning any such thing.

During that era, attending Miss Comer's was THE socially acceptable thing to do in our parents' eyes. There was no escape. It was evidently quite a social coup for upwardly mobile parents to have their kicking and screaming young adolescents accepted for classes with the famous Miss Comer.

If you were accepted, you were going. End of discussion. Even threats of running away from home, undying hatred, or even suicide fell on heartlessly deaf parental ears.

So there we were, trapped like little rats, trying to master the mysteries of the box step, to the accompaniment of Miss Elsie enthusiastically banging out "Tea for Two" on the ancient piano while our far luckier peers with far more understanding parents were listening to Bill Haley and the Comets and bopping to "Rock Around the Clock."

Attending Miss Comer's required that the young ladies be attired in almost formal gowns and the young gentlemen suitably attired in dark suits and white gloves. The white gloves were necessary to forestall the leaving of sweaty masculine hand prints on the backs of those little formal gowns.

Our beaming parents thought that it was all so "darling." We thought that it was all so totally, disgustingly yucky.

After the required trip down the formal receiving line which, to our mortification, demanded curtsying and bowing, the girls cringed on one side of the ballroom while the boys huddled on the other. No Man's Land lay in between.

Miss Comer would glide elegantly to the center of No Man's Land and demonstrate the finer points of the dance to be mastered. After twirling around all by herself for bit, she would call out her assistant, Miss Somebody Or Other, and they would dance together while Miss Comer kept up a running commentary on the steps to be preformed by the young lady and by the young gentleman.

I was never sure whether I wanted to laugh or upchuck as I watched that spectacle, repeated over and over.

Ultimately, the moment of true terror would arrive, as Miss Comer chirped, "Gentlemen, you may now ask the young lady of your choice for the pleasure of this dance." At the command, "Miss Elsie, if you please," Miss Elsie would begin to pound out music appropriate for the imminent crushing of toes and the trauma would begin.

Young adolescent faces instantly paled on both sides of the room and Westport's young ladies and gentlemen began to twitch uncontrollably on either side of No Man's Land.

On their side of the ballroom, the young gentlemen were not so gently pried away from the security of the ballroom wall and thrust out into the middle of No Man's Land to fend for themselves. Any foolish attempt to retreat back to the safety of the wall was futile because it brought a less than pleasant physical contact with Miss Comer herself.

Her moves were good enough to have earned her a place on the defensive line of any football team. To my memory, no attempt at an end run around Miss Comer was ever successful.

On our side of the room, the young ladies began frantically trying to hide behind one another, which involved more than a bit of not so genteel or remotely lady-like pushing and shoving. This maneuvering always drew menacingly stern looks from our proud parents sitting in the parental peanut gallery.

The unspoken threat of being banished to our rooms for the rest of our lives if we didn't "STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!" was abundantly clear.

Although we never talked about it, I have no doubt that the very same horrifying thought was running through the mind of every young lady present at that moment.

"Oh, God, what if nobody picks me? I'll die. I'll absolutely die!"

Not being picked was a fate FAR worse than being chosen last for kickball at recess because any unfortunate left-over girl had to dance with Miss Comer.

There could be few more mortifying experiences in a tender adolescent life than having to dance with Miss Comer in front of everybody because nobody picked you.

As we all know, seventh and eighth graders come in all shapes, sizes and degrees of physical and/or emotional maturity. I was tall...very, very tall...taller than any boy in the seventh or eighth grade. OK, so I was taller than any boy in the ninth grade, too, for that matter. I was sure that I was taller than anyone else in the known universe and I probably was.

I can only assume that asking my towering self to dance was far too risky a business for most insecure, short lads, who would find themselves at eye level with what would have been cleavage, had I been just a few years older. Sadly or, perhaps, luckily, I wasn't.

While there were a few courageous boys willing to take the risk and waltz me around the floor while staring at their feet with heroic concentration, I was forced to dance with Miss Comer far more than I would have preferred.

As much as I suffered the tortures of the damned as Miss Comer dragged me around the dance floor in front of seemingly everyone I knew, I must admit that the old gal was a pretty fair dancer and, at least, she didn't tromp all over my feet.

We hapless victims of Miss Comer's did eventually learn to fox trot, waltz, cha-cha and lindy with the best of them. But, I can't help wonder how many of us still have to fight to overcome the urge to automatically curtsy or bow when we find ourselves going through a receiving line at a wedding these days.

Should I ever have the opportunity to meet either the Pope or Queen Elizabeth, I'm sure that the curtsying skills I learned at Miss Comer's will come in handy.

Until such time, I'm having trouble justifying my parents' investment in my mastering a proper curtsy.

Ballroom dancing would, no doubt, have been a valuable lifetime skill if the world had not abruptly changed in the late 60s and early 70s. With the advent of the Shag, the Frug and all the other "non-combat-sport" dances as the years went on, knowing how to fox trot didn't exactly help us shine in most later social situations.

For most of us, ballroom dancing quickly became an archaic art form that only our parents and grandparents remembered and would actually engage in when other people could see them.

I actually learned to enjoy ballroom dancing, but I have real trouble finding men in my age group who manage a decent box step, much less a waltz. What a pity after what I endured to master the steps myself.

So, if another Miss Comer's survivor finds himself suddenly overcome with a mad longing for a good tango, please do get in touch. I probably still have my Miss Comer's party dresses up in the attic. And I promise that I haven't gotten any taller.
___
Dale Eyerly Colson is a member of the Staples class of 1963.

Thursday, Aug. 11, 2005

8 p.m. - Westport Country Playhouse - The Member of the Wedding
8 p.m. - Levitt Pavilion - Chris Norman Ensemble

Feds Delay New Electric Rate Plan

Federal regulators today agreed to delay a new electricity rate plan for New England until late next year.

Opponents, including Gov. M. Jodi Rell, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and Westport First Selectwoman Diane G. Farrell, contended the plan would have boosted rates by up to 24 percent but would not guarantee creation of more power.

Members of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) will hear arguments on the plan next month.

“While news of the delay is welcome, this fight is nowhere near over," said Rell in a statement. "I continue to urge FERC and ISO-New England to consider alternatives to this costly and ineffective pricing scheme. The five-year cost to Connecticut alone is estimated at an utterly unacceptable $3.7 billion."

Farrell, in a statement, said: "On behalf of the 54 Connecticut municipalities with whom I have been working, along with Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and Gov. Rell, I am delighted that FERC has decided to delay the deadline for the implementation of the LICAP (Locational Installed Capacity Market Proposal) proposal.

"This action is not only right and fair for the citizens of Connecticut, but will not divide our state especially at a time when energy costs are escalating."

In an order issued today, the FERC said the rate changes in the LICAP proposal, if approved, would not begin until October 2006. And, in response to requests from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, FERC will hear oral arguments in the case Sept. 20.

"At a time when energy prices are already stretching family budgets, LICAP would impose a disproportionately expensive charge on New England electricity consumers," said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn.

The plan would set up separate pricing regions, and the extra fees from the LICAP plan would be funneled to power companies as development incentives.

Southwestern Connecticut and the Boston area have been identified as regions that need power transmission upgrades.

FERC said that ISO New England would need a decision by Sept. 15 in order to implement the new rating system by Jan. 1, as originally intended. The October 2006 date was set because ISO New England doesn't implement new projects during the summer.

Westport's Sam Goody is Gone

Sam Goody's, long a mainstay at Westport's Compo Acres Shopping Center, 370 Post Road East at the corner of Compo Road South, is no more. The music retailer abruptly shut its doors with a sign on the door telling customers: "Store closed forever!!!! Please visit us at our nearest location at Stamford Town Center. Sorry for any inconvenience." Gill Consolini, vice president of retail leasing at Westport's Heyman Properties, the landlord, said upon lease expiration, Sam Goody decided to close the store because of "company consolidation." He said the almost 3,600-sq. ft space is being marketed for rent and there is "tremendous" interest in it. A spokeswoman for Musicland Inc., operator of Sam Goody's, said stores are closed when they become unprofitable. The picture was shot through a window and shows several signs saying "Back to School Must Haves." (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Jonathan Thrope for WestportNow.com

Tibet Independence Supporters March Through Westport

Several Connecticut residents, including native Tibetans, were among marchers who passed through Westport today as part of a Boston-to-New York walk by the International Tibet Independence Movement. Each year, the group undertakes major walks across various states to call attention to what they say is the need for independence for Tibet. This year's march started July 30 and will end Aug. 13. The group is shown on Post Road East. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Ron Malone for WestportNow.com

Wilton Road Reopened After Crash Requiring Lengthy Extrication

A portion of Westport's Wilton Road reopened today, 11 hours after a Westport teenager wrapped his car around a utility pole on a dangerous curve and survived.
Traffic on River and Rice's Lane was tied up today in the aftermath of Tuesday night's accident that shut down a portion of Wilton Road. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Larry Untermeyer for WestportNow.com

Firefighters worked feverishly for more than an hour Tuesday night and early today to free the critically injured 17-year-old as anxious neighbors watched, including one who openly prayed for him.

"It was pretty horrific," said Ted Horowitz, who lives not far from the crash site at 217 Wilton Road. "Everybody came out. We heard a real loud thud. There was no screech of tires, no visible skids marks, just the impact."

UPDATE: Westport police did not immediately identify the victim and had no word on his condition. But Thursday morning police spokesman Jerry Shannon identified him as Dylan Goldberg, 17, of Buck Hill Road, which is not far from the accident scene.

He said Dylan was northbound on Wilton Road in a 2005 Saab and lost control of the car and struck a utility pole.

"Detectives determined from the damage to the car that speed was an issue," Shannon said. "The accident is still under investigation."

Sgt. George Marks said he was unsure whether the driver was well enough to talk to detectives. A fire official said he had "critical injuries."

WestportNow withheld the driver's name until it was officially released by authorities Thursday morning. Dylan is a Staples High School student entering his senior year.

In a comment on this story, WestportNow readers Gloria and Larry Silver described Dylan as "an active athlete, an honor student and delightful son" who will someday be a third generation doctor.

"The cause of the accident is still unknown," they wrote. "Perhaps he was speeding or perhaps he swayed to avoid an animal. We will know that when he becomes well enough to tell us.

"As of now we, his family and friends will sit in the hospital and pray that he gets well. Someday he will be doctor and make many people well like his father. He needs our prayers right now."

Horowitz said police and fire units arrived on the scene moments after the 11:03 p.m. crash.

"All we could do was watch from a distance," he said. "We couldn't imagine that anyone could have survived it. One woman even prayed for him."

Assistant Chief Larry Conklin, who oversaw the rescue effort, said, "Upon arrival, firefighters were faced with a vehicle entangled around a telephone pole.

"The severity of the crash caused the vehicle to literally wrap itself around the pole trapping the lone occupant inside."

He said firefighters worked "feverishly" to free the trapped driver, finally removing him shortly after midnight, just over an hour after extrication operations began.

It was one of the longest extrication efforts on a local Westport roadway in recent years, according to one emergency worker.

As the rescue operations went on, a Norwalk Hospital paramedic started an intravenous line to administer medication to the victim, witnesses said.

One police officer entered the smashed vehicle to comfort the driver as firefighters used hydraulic tools to cut away the wreckage, according to the witnesses.

Twenty minutes into the rescue operation, Conklin said he called for additional manpower and Engine Co. 4 responded to supplement Engine Co. 2 and Rescue 3 at the scene.

Utility crews used a pole digger truck to stabilize the pole while a wrecker removed the entangled car, he said.

Horowitz said the curve has been the scene of many accidents over the years.

"The state put in groove strips seven or eight years ago and more recently removed a large rock boulder that improved the sight line," he said.

"It's just a dangerous curve and you just have to maintain a safe level of speed on it. I heard someone speculate that this driver could have been going 75."

The last fire department unit cleared the scene at 2:27 a.m. The area around the accident site remained closed to traffic until about 10 a.m. today so utility workers could replace the pole, Conklin said.

Tickets Still Available for Dave Mason at the Levitt Friday

Tickets are still available for Friday night’s return performance of the Dave Mason Band at Westport's Levitt Pavilion.

According to Levitt Pavilion Executive Director Freda Welsh, tickets are selling fast for the special performance to benefit the Pavilion’s Education and Outreach Programs.

Unlike last Friday’s Beach Boys concert, only lawn seating is available for this concert, with all tickets priced at $25.

Dave Mason, a 2004 inductee into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame, was a founding member of the renowned rock group Traffic.

The money raised from the Friday night concert will go towards the Levitt’s internship program as well as their effort to reach out to those who are unable to attend the performances at the Pavilion.

According to Welsh, this includes sending performers to senior homes as well homes for the disadvantaged.

For concert tickets and information, call (203)226-7600.

Going Down: 7 Webb Road

The house at 7 Webb Road off Whitney Street came down today. Featured as WestportNow's teardown of the day May 5, 2005, the property changed hands in May for $810,000. The house was built in 1940. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Staples Summer Theatre Presents "Aida" for Two Weekends

Staples Summer Theatre will present "Aida," a musical written by Elton John, for two weekends beginning Friday at Bedford Middle School.

The musical is being directed by Al Pia, who ran Staples Players for 28 years before retiring in 1996.

According to the play’s producer, Matthew Deedon, "Aida" is based upon an old opera in which a Nubian princess is enslaved and then falls in love with the son of her captor.

The show will be presented this Friday and Saturday, Aug. 12 and 13, as well as the following Friday and Saturday, Aug. 19, and 20 at 8 p.m. in the Bedford Middle School Auditorium. Tickets are only available at the door. For more information, call (203)341-1310.

Surprise Birthday Cake for First Selectwoman

Westport First Selectwoman Diane G. Farrell was surprised with a birthday cake before the start of today's Board of Selectmen meeting. Farrell turned 50 today. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo

P.J. Story Time at the Library

The Westport Public Library's McManus room became one big bedroom Tuesday night as a group of toddlers relaxed in their pajamas and slippers for P.J. Story Time. Before the stories began, the kids showed off their bedtime buddies with the help of a librarian. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Jonathan Thrope for WestportNow.com

One Person Injured in Wilton Road Accident

It took Westport firefighters about an hour Tuesday night to free a motorist from a car after it crashed into a utility pole on Wilton Road, fire officials said.

The accident occured shortly after 11 p.m. in front of 217 Wilton Road. The condition of the lone occupant of the car, who was transported to Norwalk Hospital by Westport EMS. was not immediately known.

Traffic on the busy roadway was detoured as firefighters worked at the scene lit by emergency lights.

Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2005

10:30 a.m. – Town Hall Room 102 – International Hospitality Committee
11 a.m. – Room 309/307 – Board of Selectmen
2:30 p.m. – Center for Senior Activities – Policy and Planning Bord
3 p.m. and 8 p.m. - Westport Country Playhouse - The Member of the Wedding
7 p.m. - Levitt Pavilion - Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion, folk duo

Saying Goodbye

The Westport Rotary Club tonight honored Laura Porto (center, wearing pink), a Brazilian exchange student, as she prepared to return home after a year in Westport sponsored by the club. The event was a barbeque at a private home in the Green's Farms area. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo

Going Down: 4 Dexter Road

The house at 4 Dexter Road, off Bulkley Avenue North, came down today. It was featured at the WestportNow teardown of the day Jan. 19, 2005. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Desperately Seeking Staples Players Memorabilia

Members of Staples Players are celebrating their return to Staples and the school's new auditorium lobby by documenting the history of the theatre organization in a permanent exhibit of posters, photos and memorabilia from Players' history.

Several original Players posters from the 1960s have already been acquired and framed for this display with funds provided by Players alumni, according to a news release.

The group is seeking additional posters to document its history from the 1960s up to the 1990s, as well as high quality production photographs from any Players production prior to 2001.

Of particular interest would be a poster from Players' inaugural production of 1959, "You Can't Take it With You," the announcement said.

If you, your child or someone you know participated in Players during this time period, please check attics, basements and photo albums and consider donating your memorabilia to help document Players history, the organiztion said.

Photos do not need to be donated, but can be loaned long enough to reproduce them and then return them.

Staples Players will kick off their 2005 season with "Children of Eden," a musical by Tony winner Stephen Schwartz ("Wicked," "Godspell", "Pippin"), which tells the story of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, and Noah and the Ark through a rock and gospel-style score.

"Children of Eden" will be performed Nov. 11, 12, 13, 18 and 19.

If you can help with posters, photos or other memorabilia for the Staples Players Lobby Project, please phone (203) 341-1305 or e-mail splayersparents@aol.com.

Former Principal Charged With Stealing Mail

A former New Haven school principal has been arrested for a second time on charges of stealing mail from homes in Fairfield County, including Westport.

William Milbourne, 45, of Stratford, was arrested Monday on charges of stealing mail from 25 residences in Fairfield, Westport and Weston.

In May, Milbourne, a longtime administrator at Hill Central School, was sentenced to three years probation for stealing checks out of mailboxes in Fairfield.

In the latest case, police said a Fairfield woman complained on July 6 that her personal checks were stolen from her mailbox.

Milbourne later attempted to cash one of the checks for $500 at a Monroe bank, police said.

On Monday, Milbourne was charged with two counts each of second-degree forgery, fifth-degree larceny and attempted fifth-degree larceny, and 25 counts of sixth-degree larceny.

Superior Court Judge John Blawie ordered Milbourne held in lieu of $50,000 bond and continued the case to Aug. 22.

Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2005

10 a.m. – Town Hall Room 201 – Administrative Review Committee
7:30 p.m. – Town Hall Room 201/201A – RTM Finance Committee
7:30 p.m. – Town Hall Auditorium – Zoning Board of Appeals
8 p.m. - Levitt Pavilion - The Denns, country, folk, and jazz
8 p.m. - Westport Country Playhouse - "The Member of the Wedding"

Cornelius J. Videler, Westport Photographer, Dies at 74

Cor Videler: a Westport photographer since 1957. Contributed photoCornelius J. Videler, a noted Westport photographer for almost half a century, died Sunday at home. He was 74.

Videler came to Westport in 1957 from his native Holland. He operated Videler Photography, specializing in weddings, portraits, and events, on Compo Road South.

He had also been employed by Pepperidge Farm in Norwalk as a photographer. Aside from his tremendous love for his family, he also loved fishing and his garden.

Survivors in addition to his wife of 51 years, Anna Hennen Videler, include his sons and daughters, Niel Videler of Rochester, Vt, and John Videler of Westport; Beverly Rosen of Trumbull, Conn., and Barbra Biase of Greenwich, Conn. Seven grandchildren, Case, Elle and Sinjin Videler, Brett and Molly Rosen, Cor and Olivia Biase and three brothers, Chris, Wim and Harry and four sisters, Riet, Annie, Feeny and Leny.

Friends are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial Tuesday 10 a.m. at Assumption Church, 98 Riverside Ave., Westport. There will be no calling hours. The Harding Funeral Home, 210 Post Road East, Westport is in charge of arrangements. Contributions may be made to Hospice and Palliative Care, 680 Bridgeport Ave., Shelton, CT 06484.

Watermain Leak Disrupts Downtown Traffic

Traffic was slowed in downtown Westport today as crews worked on a watermain leak in front of Tiffany and Co. One lane of Post Road East was closed off through much of downtown as a result of the ongoing work while Taylor Place was completely blocked off to vehicles. According to a worker at the site, they have yet to find the exact location of the leak, and they will probably be working to fix the leak at least through Tuesday. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Jonathan Thrope for WestportNow.com

Monday, Aug. 8, 2005

2 p.m. – Town Hall Room 309 – Planning and Zoning Commission anticipated executive session
7:30 p.m. – Town Hall Room 201/201A – Parks and Recreation Commission

Staples Class of 1970 Celebrates 35th Reunion

Members of the Staples class of 1970 caught up with one another today during a picnic at Westport's Compo Beach. The picnic was the final activity of the weekend-long reunion. On Friday, members of the class had an informal get together at the Longshore Country Club Patio Bar while Saturday night they had a dinner dance at The Sons of Italy in Norwalk. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Jonathan Thrope for WestportNow.com

Together Again Afer 35 Years

Members of the Staples Class of 1970 were entertained Saturday night by a band that also played together in high school. They practiced for a week before performing at the dinner dance at the Sons of Italy in Norwalk. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Mary Palmieri Gai for WestportNow.com<

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