Friday, May 10, 2013
Friday, May 10, 2013
9 a.m. - 1 p.m. - Saugatuck Congregational Church (245 Post Road East) - Annual Plant Sale
9 a.m. - 4 p.m. - United Methodist Church (49 Westport Road) - 2013 Giant Tag Sale (early-bird admission 8 a.m. $10)
10 a.m. - Westport Arts Center - ArtCafé
10 a.m. - 5 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “SOLOS 2013”
7 p.m. - Toquet Hall Teen Center - The Found Footage Festival
7:30 p.m. - Long Lots School - MTC School of Performing Arts: “Dr. Doolittle”
8 p.m. - Westport Country Playhouse - “The Dining Room”
8 p.m. - MTC Studio Theatre (246 Post Road East) - “Cole”
See more events: Celebrate Westport Calendar
Thursday, May 09, 2013
Downtown 2020, P&Z Meet to Mend Fences
By James Lomuscio
Members of Westport’s Downtown 2020 Committee tonight stressed that their mission is to work with and generate ideas for the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z), not to usurp the elected commission’s authority.
Lou Gagliano, chair of the Downtown 2020Committee, addresses the P&Z tonight. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Downtown 2020’s presentation to the P&Z during the public hearing portion of the commission’s meeting tonight was an attempt at fence mending due to a rift that began in February. That was when Downtown 2020, a committee appointed by First Selectman Gordon Joseloff, issued an RFP (request for proposals) for a consultant to offer expertise on street scape, parking, traffic, public restrooms and making better use of the river views downtown in the midst of upcoming development.
Development projects on the horizon include: Bedford Square, replacing the Westport Weston Family Y, a movie theater on Main Street, redevelopment of National Hall, rebuilding the Westport Public Library and the Levitt Pavilion, possible redevelopment of Save the Children, and a desire by the Westport Arts Center to possibly move to Jesup Green.
In early March, P&Z Chairwoman Catherine Walsh said she wanted the RFP withdrawn since the P&Z did not have any input in it. She also argued that she wanted Downtown 2020 “to be in the loop with us.”
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Jamming at the Arts Center
The Thursday night jazz series at the Westport Arts Center closed out the season tonight with another rousing performance. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Grroner for WestportNow.com
Hall-Brooke Art Show Opens Saturday
Westport artist Nina Bentley hangs her work today in preparation for the Hall-Brooke Mothers’ Day Weekend Art Show, which will be open on Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. The “Meet the Artists” reception, with food and beverages, is from 6 to 8pm on Saturday. The show, curated by Westport artist Miggs Burroughs, has work from 12 area artists and photographers, including Westport’s Tom Kretsch, Laura Wilk, Toby Michaels, Susan Malloy, and the work of the late Tracy Sugarman. The exhibit is at 47 Long Lots Road Westport. For more information, call 203-227-1251 or visit http://www.StVincentsBehavioralHealth.org. The event is open to the public at no charge and proceeds from sales will benefit The Friends of Hall-Brooke. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo
Getting Ready for Friday Plant Sale
Members of the Westport Garden Club today prepared for Friday’s annual plant sale, which takes place on the front lawn of the Saugatuck Congregational Church, 245 Post Road East, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. With Friday’s weather expected to be sunny, members of the 89-year old club anticipate a record turnout for the sale, which features hundreds of popular and rare perennials from local gardens, a “fancy bake shop,” and a gardening supply market. Pictured are Elena Byrne and Mary Meinke, co-chairs of perennial plant donations, and Jenny Clerkin, president of the Westport Garden Club. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Emily Hamilton Laux for WestportNow.com
A Fiscal Game of Chicken and Scapegoats
By Keith M. Phaneuf
www.ctmirror.orgThe legislature’s Republican minority won’t propose an alternative budget this year for the first time in six years, a political shift that the GOP and Democrats are now racing to define in the minds of voters.
The GOP spin is that Democrats have irreparably ruined the state’s finances, at least for the short term. The Democratic spin is that the minority is playing the easy role of critics, but it can’t hack the hard work of governing.
The top Republicans in the Senate and House, John P. McKinney of Fairfield and Lawrence F. Cafero of Norwalk confirmed their decision against crafting a budget alternative in interviews with The Mirror. Despite the lack of a minority budget, though, they said Republicans would not shrink from the budget debate, offering suggestions in press conferences or as amendments to various bills.
Democrats said the GOP leaders, both of whom are weighing bids for governor, are focused on the 2014 elections, and not the state’s fiscal health. The Republicans say the exercise has changed little in previous years.
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Bridge Work
Repairs on the William J. Cribari Bridge, also known as the Bridge Street Bridge, forced closure of the bridge today for the second day in a row. The bridge was closed from 9 a.m. to about 3 p.m., resulting in traffic jams around the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Birdge in Westport’s center. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Bob Eckman for WestportNow.com
Comings & Goings: Sunglass Hut Reopens on Main Street
Westport’s Sunglass Hut, 74 Main St. closed since Storm Sandy last October, reopened today. The business also operates in other Fairfield County locations including Greenwich, Stamford, Danbury and Trumbull. Today’s opening leaves Chico’s as the last Storm Sandy Main Street victim. It is expected to reopen next week. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Comings & Goings: Akram Closes at Sconset Square
Akram men’s and women’s apparel store at 9 Sconset Square across from the Christ & Holy Trinity Church has closed after a year. (See WestportNow May 11, 2012). Co-owners Akram Enany and his wife Seham Ibrahim previously owned the 4@1 store at 141 Post Road East. The Sconset Square space was formerly occupied by Green Earth Design. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Westport Names Personnel/Human Resources Director
Westport First Selectman Gordon Joseloff today announced the appointment of Ralph M. Chetcuti as personnel director/human resources director for the Town of Westport.
Ralph Chetcuti: lengthy experience in human resources. Contributed photo
Chetcuti, who started today, fills a position that has been vacant since March 2011. Finance Director Gary Conrad has served as acting personnel director.
“Ralph has broad human resources experience that made him a standout candidate for this position as we work to integrate town and school personnel and human resources operations,” said Joseloff.
Chetcuti was selected from 45 applicants during a series of interviews that culminated in the finalists being interviewed by Joseloff and Republican and Democratic members of the Board of Finance.
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Voting Changes Go to Referendum in 2014
By Mark Pazniokas
www.ctmirror.orgThe Senate voted along party lines Wednesday night to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot in November 2014 that could open the door to early voting in Connecticut in time for the 2016 presidential election.
If approved by voters, the General Assembly would have the flexibility to consider a number of election changes that are now precluded by Connecticut’s unusual constitutional restrictions on the use of absentee ballots.
The 22-14 vote was the last legislative step in a process that required the House and Senate to approve a constitutional referendum question twice in consecutive years in order for voters to now have their say.
“Today marks a historic and significant step forward for modernizing elections in Connecticut so we can finally enact early voting in our state,” Secretary of the State Denise Merrill said.
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Red Barn in Pink
Westport’s Red Barn restaurant is taking on a spring pink look on Wilton Road. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Helen Klisser During for WestportNow.com
Thursday, May 9, 2013
9 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Bridge Street Bridge Closed for Repairs
10 a.m. - 5 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “SOLOS 2013”
10 a.m. - Westport Public Library - Take-a-Break: From Drab to Fab, 10 Ways to Energize your Home This Spring
6:30 p.m. – Town Hall Auditorium – Planning & Zoning Commission Public Hearing (live coverage cable channel 79, AT&T channel 99, and westportct.gov)
7 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - Jazz Thursday
7 p.m. – Fire Headquarters – Public Site & Building Commission
7:30 p.m. - Westport Public Library - James Basker, “American Antislavery Writings: Colonial Beginnings to Emancipation”
8 p.m. - Westport Country Playhouse - “The Dining Room”
See more events: Celebrate Westport Calendar
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
Fog Advisory
The National Weather Service said the combination of light winds and high moisture levels has resulted in the formation tonight of fog across eastern Long Island and coastal Connecticut.
Visibilities mostly range from one-half mile to two miles with patchy dense fog reducing visibility to one-quarter mile or less in spots.
The fog is expected to remain overnight with some improvement once showers move into the area around or shortly after daybreak Thursday morning, an advisory said.
Moody’s Rates Westport’s Newest Bond Issue Triple-A
Moody’s Investors Service said today it had assigned a triple-A (Aaa) rating and stable outlook to the Town of Westport’s planned $29.3 million general obligations refunding bond issue and affirmed the top rating to its $106 million in long-term general obligations debt.
It said the bonds, with an expected sale date of May 14, are secured by the town’s unlimited general obligation tax pledge and will be used to refund the town’s series 2003 bonds for an estimated net present value savings of $3.6 million, or 12 percent of refunded principal.
This was the second Moody’s Triple A affirmation for the town in this low interest environment in less than five months. In January, Moody’s gave the same rating to a 20-year $6.99 million general obligations bond issue that went off at 1.9 percent. (See WestportNow Jan. 24, 2013)
The agency said the highest quality long-term rating reflects “Westport’s sizable tax base with extremely high wealth and income indices, and a manageable debt position.”
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Staples Grad Deploys With U.S. Navy
Lt. Lauren Baker Cosgrave, a 2000 Staples High School graduate who is a weapons officer aboard the guided missile cruiser USS Chosin, has departed with her ship from its home port at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on a western Pacific deployment, the U.S. Navy said. The 2004 U.S. Naval Academy graduate will assist in the ship’s mission of conducting theater security operations with partner nations and “providing deterrence, promoting peace and security, preserving freedom of the seas, and providing humanitarian assistance/disaster response,” the Navy said. Proud mom Rhonda Baker, in an email to WestportNow, said, “Perhaps friends, neighbors, teachers and coaches would be interested in the news of her deployment.” U.S. Navy photo
Cloudy Sunset
Today’s sunset as seen from Westport’s Compo Beach followed a day of alternating rain and clearing. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com
New Haven Delays
UPDATE Metro-North said at 5:44 p.m. New Haven Line Service is now operating on or close to schedule after earlier delays due to Fire Department activity in the Park Avenue tunnel.
Sleuthing Finds History of Retired Teacher’s Home
By Dave Matlow
The Westport Historical Society (WHS) has presented retired Westport school teacher Anne Bernard Pfeiffer with a plaque that designates the 1878 original date of the house at 190 Compo Road South where she has lived in for 50 years.
Bob Weingarten presents a plaque to Anne Pfeiffer while Town Clerk Patricia Strauss looks on. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
“I always wanted to know the origin of my house into which I moved with my family in 1963,” she said. “I know my house is old, but I didn’t know how old.”
She found a source for finding this information when less than a year ago Town Clerk Patricia Strauss introduced her to Bob Weingarten, a board member of both the WHS and Westport Historic District Commission.
Pfeiffer then asked Weingarten, a research specialist on Westport properties, if he would perform the research that determines the year her house was built.
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Comings & Goings: Fast Stop Closes
The Fast Stop convenience store at 20 Saugatuck Ave. abrutptly closed on Tuesday. A short time later, the U.S. Postal Service issued an announcement saying its Contract Postal Unit within Fast Stop was closed. There was no official reason given for the closure. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Bob Eckman for WestportNow.com
WestportNow Teardown of the Day: 15 Appletree Trail
An application for a permit to demolish the house at Westport’s 15 Appletree Trail, in the Compo Beach area, is in process. Built in 1930, the 1 3/4-story colonial has 2,108 square feet and is situated on a .21-acre property. Because the house was built more than 50 years ago, the application will be reviewed by the Westport Historic District Commission. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Closed for Repairs
The William J. Cribrari Bridge, informally known as the Bridge Street Bridge in Westport’s Saugatuck section, is closed today from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for repairs. A similar closure is planned for Thursday. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
‘Ceremonies and Celebrations’ Program Marks 10th Year
Westport Human Services Director Barbara Butler has announced that in response to requests from school staff for assistance in purchasing new clothing for graduating middle and high school students, her department will again coordinate the “Ceremonies and Celebrations” program, which this year marks its 10th anniversary.
“Last year, thanks to the generosity of the Westport community and the schools’ PTAs, 41 Westport students were able to purchase new special event clothing for their graduations from middle and high school,” Butler said. “This year, the number of requests is considerably higher.”
The Human Services Department has received numerous heartfelt notes of thanks and the photographs of the proud young people as they walked across the stage or stood with their relatives on this special day, she said.
The public can help fill the need for this year’s graduating students and lift a bit of the expense burden from their families by making a tax deductible donation. Checks should be made payable to “DHS Family Programs” (memo line: Ceremonies) and will be gratefully accepted through June, Butler said.
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Morning Mist at Nyala
The morning mist Tuesday at the Nyala Farm complex in Westport’s Greens Farms section. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Janine Scotti for WestportNow.com
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
9 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Bridge Street Bridge Closed for Repairs
10 a.m. – Town Hall Room 201 – UN Hospitality Committee
10 a.m. – Town Hall Room 102 – Conservation Citation Hearing
10 a.m. - 5 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “SOLOS 2013”
10 a.m. - Westport Public Library - Women Talk Business: “Mother Yourself: Nurturing the Woman Within”
12:30 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - SOLOS 2013 Lunchtime Artist Talk: Elizabeth Nagle and Tammy Winser
2 p.m. and 8 p.m. - Westport Country Playhouse - “The Dining Room”
4 p.m. - Westport Public Library - ChessClub (grades K-12)
6 p.m. - Westport Public Library - Business Special: Strategic Forecasting—The Roadmap to Profitability
7 p.m. - Christ & Holy Trinity Church (75 Church Lane) - Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities: “Improving Social Skills for Children with Executive Function Issues”
7:30 p.m. – Town Hall Room 309 – Citizens Transit Committee
See more events: Celebrate Westport Calendar
Tuesday, May 07, 2013
RTM Approves $117.38 Million School Budget
By James Lomuscio
By a vote of 28 to 3, Westport’s Representative Town Meeting (RTM) tonight approved the Board of Education’s $104.2 million operating budget and more than $13 million for debt service and aid to private schools, a total of $117.38 million for 2013-14 school year.
Board of Education Chair Elaine Whitney presents the school budget tonight to the Representative Town Meeting. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
The legislative body then finalized the overall budget, including the $75.6 million municipal budget approved Monday night, at $193.7 million by a vote of 30 with 1 abstention. The total was up 2.44 percent over the current year.
The school board’s budget approval drew a round of applause from parents and school supporters in the Town Hall auditorium, but it was not as smooth an approval as some had hoped.
Prior to the vote, RTM member Don Bergman, who voted against the budget along with Cathy Talmadge and Cornelia Olsen, gave the Board of Education a drubbing with a long list of grievances, each one beginning with the words “I am concerned.”
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Volleyball ‘Smackdown’ Postponed
UPDATE The Westport Youth Commission and the Westport Police-Youth Collaborative third annual youth-adult volleyball tournament set for Saturday at Compo Beach during the Homes with Hope’s annual Castles in the Sand event has been postponed due to the weather forecast, Westport Coordinator of Youth Services Elaine Daignault announced Friday.
It had been scheduled to take place from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Organizers will announce the new date as soon as possible, she said.
“The volleyball tournament is a great compliment to Homes with Hope’s Castles in the Sand event and an opportunity for older kids, adults and our local police department to support the good work that Homes with Hope does for our community,“ said Daignault.
“Kids want to get involved in community projects but many just don’t have the time to commit to long term projects so the Westport Youth Commission and the Westport Police Youth Collaborative have been working together to create fun events which both benefit our community and offer an opportunity to build relationships among youth and officers.”
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Social Class Talk at the Playhouse
Ticket holders for tonight’s performance of “The Dining Room” at the Westport Country Playhouse were invited to a pre-show reception in the Sheffer Rehearsal Hall where television and radio personality David Smith interviewed author Susanna Salk. A frequent “Today Show” guest on home design, Salk is the author of several books, including “A Privileged Life: Celebrating WASP Style.” She shed an insightful perspective on the gentry that, in many ways, captures the aura of the social class portrayed in the current A. R. Gurney Playhouse production. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Concerns about Plan for Using Sandy Relief Funds
By Neena Satija
www.ctmirror.orgConnecticut legislators today approved a state plan to use $72 million in federal Storm Sandy relief money primarily to rehabilitate housing that was damaged during the storm last November.
But many expressed reservations, referring to the plan’s lack of detail and the delay in getting funds to those who have been waiting for months.
“How soon will we be getting money on the street?” asked State Rep. Diana Urban, D-Stonington, whose district includes many shoreline properties. “We have businesses and homeowners that have been in dire straits.”
Evonne Klein, commissioner of the newly-created Department of Housing that is in charge of the funds, said she hopes homeowners still dealing with damage from Sandy will be able to apply for assistance starting this summer. Some $30 million will go toward repairing owner-occupied homes, while $26 million will help to repair multi-family housing, including public housing.
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Postal Service Closes Saugatuck Contract Postal Unit
The U.S. Postal Service said today it has closed its Contract Postal Unit located at Fast Stop, 20 Saugatuck Ave., in Westport’s Saugatuck section.
Flashback: the Saugatuck Contract Postal Unit opened in September 2008 with a ribbon cutting. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Larry Untermeyer for WestportNow.com
The unit, which sells stamps and other postal products and services, opened in September 2008, almost a year before the Saugatuck Post Office closed at 611 Riverside Ave.
“Customers may complete retail transactions at the Westport Post Office, 275 Post Road in Westport,” the announcement said. “No Post Office boxes are located at this site so mail delivery will not be impacted.”
In January, the Postal Service said it had decided to relocate its Saugatuck postal boxes to a building at 25 Franklin St. (See WestportNow Jan. 29, 2013)
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Filling Up
In a sure sign summer is near, the Ned Dimes Marina at Westport’s Compo Beach is becoming more populated. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Bob Eckman for WestportNow.com
Himes Office Offers Sandy Assistance
Westport First Selectman Gordon Joseloff and Fire Chief Andrew Kingsbury today encouraged Westport homeowners, renters and businesses with unmet needs relating to Super Storm Sandy to contact the office of Congressman Jim Himes for assistance.
They said Himes aide Amy Lappos will be able to assist those with issues with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or the Small Business Administration (SBA) and help if residents have not yet received an offer from their flood insurance company, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
In addition, they urged residents to contact Lappos if they still have unmet needs from their settlement, if they are still displaced or have housing needs, and if they need help tracking FEMA awards, SBA loans or an insurance settlement offer.
Lappos can be reached at 203-333-6600 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Boardwalk Stroll
A Compo Beach visitor today strolls on the boardwalk. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Mark Molesworth for WestportNow.com
Shred Day Set for Saturday
First Selectman Gordon Joseloff has announced that Westport will hold a public shred day on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at 180 Bayberry Lane, home to the Westport-Weston Health District.
Residents may shred up to eight paper bags (bags recycle too), or three boxes (12 inches by 18 inches), or per household. Each car will be charged $5.
“This is an opportunity for Westporters to dispose of personal, confidential and sensitive papers, such as bank statements, canceled checks, credit card statements, tax papers, and medical records by watching their papers shredded on site” said Joseloff.
“Shredding personal papers helps insure protection against identity theft, in addition to spring cleaning file cabinets. Our environment also benefits since all material will be recycled.
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WestportNow Teardown of the Day: 28 Maple Ave. North
An application for a permit to demolish the house at Westport’s 28 Maple Ave. North is in process. Built in 1952, the one-story ranch has 2,423 square feet and is situated on a 1.13-acre property. Because the house was built more than 50 years ago, the application will be reviewed by the Westport Historic District Commission. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
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PROPERTY TRANSFERS
Westport Property Transfers April 29 - May 3, 2013MORE >>
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Note: WestportNow Publisher Gordon F. Joseloff is also First Selectman of Westport