Sunday, August 31, 2003
New Westport Senior Center Taking
The $4 million Westport Senior Center on Baron’s South is taking shape with town officials still hoping for a December opening. A new sidewalk has been installed leading to the facility off of Imperial Avenue. WestportNow.com photo
Compo Draws Sunday Labor Day
Compo Draws Sunday Labor Day Weekend Crowd
The almost perfect weather drew crowds to Compo Beach today. The parking lots were overflowing and finding a spot to plop down became a challenge as the day wore on. The forecast for Monday was not as good—mostly cloudy with a chance of showers. WestportNow.com photo
Saturday, August 30, 2003
For the Record: NY Times Corrects Playhouse Story Errors
Sundays New York Times Connecticut section sets the record straight on a couple of errors in last weekҒs cover story on the Westport Country Playhouse, as noted in WestportNows Aug. 23 report.
ғAn article last Sunday about the Westport Country Playhouse misspelled the name of a co-founder of the theater, the Times said. ԓHe is Lawrence Langner, not Langer.
The article also misidentified where the composer Richard Rodgers was living when he saw a Playhouse production of ӑGreen Grow the Lilicas, which inspired his musical ґOklahoma! It was Fairfield, not Westport.Ҕ
Friday, August 29, 2003
Attorney Representing Child Hit by Longshore Golf Ball Files Notice
Attorney Representing Child Hit by Longshore Golf Ball Files Notice
An attorney representing a 2-year-old child hit by a golf ball while being pushed by his mother in a stroller at Westports Longshore Club Park has served notice of a claim against the town, Town Clerk Patricia H. Strauss said today.
A letter noticing the claim said the July 7 incident was ғproximately caused by a road defect.
The child, Benjamin Goldstein, suffered a traumatic brain injury and his mother, Lynn Goldstein, who was pushing him in a jogger stroller along LongshoreԒs entrance drive at the time, suffered serious emotional distress, the letter said.
Strauss said the letter, which can lead to a court action but does not necessarily mean there will be one, was received by her office Tuesday from Neil W. Sutton. He is an attorney with the Bridgeport law firm of Adelman Hirsch and Newman.
The accident happened near the sixth tee of the golf course. The child was taken to Norwalk Hospital and later was transferred to Yale-New Haven Hospital.
The Westport News today quoted Sutton as saying the child has recovered remarkably wellӔ from surgery but has a grotesque scarӔ across the top of his head.
As to whether a lawsuit will actually be filed, he told the newspaper: This could be resolved between the parties.Ӕ
Stuart McCarthy, Parks and Recreation director, was not immediately available for comment.
But he told WestportNow after the incident that the entrance road was clearly marked with a sign warning of possible errant golf balls that could cause serious injury or death. (See WestportNow July 8, 2003).
The letter said the cause of this incident was a defect in the road at that location, specifically the failure to install any fence, net, or other barrier or protective device between the tee for sixth holeӔ and the roadway.
It said Benjamin’s “earning capacity and his ability to enjoy life’s activities have been permanently reduced as a result of this incident and the road defect” and his parents had incurred medical bills.
The letter added: ” As a further result of this incident, and the defect in the road, Lynne Goldstein, who witnessed her son being struck and seriously injured by the golf ball, suffered serious emotional distress.”
Thursday, August 28, 2003
Westports Rolnick Observatory Still Busy With Mars Viewers
Westports Rolnick Observatory Still Busy With Mars Viewers
WestportҒs Rolnick Observatory hosted dozens of people Thursday night and early today hoping to catch a glimpse of Mars.
Although the Westport Astronomical Society announced special viewing hours were 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., the observatory stayed open past midnight as visitors arrived in a steady stream at its location on Bayberry Lane behind the Westport Weston Health District office.
While many people lined up to use the observatory telescope, others took advantage of the willingness of several amateur astronomers who set up their own telescopes on the lawn nearby to share their views and knowledge with visitors.
One man said his telescope was slightly more powerful than the Rolnick scope. Another said his scope had been only recently liberated from an old barn where a father had stored it for more than 40 years after his teenage son had lost interest in astronomy.
Mars appeared as a bright whitish ball through the scopes, its polar ice cap clearly visible.
Visitors moved from scope to scope peering through the viewfinders. The scene was dark except for the natural light from the clear sky and a few dim red flashlights illuminating “donation” signs on scattered tables.
On Wednesday, Mars reached its closest point to earth in 60,000 years. But astronomers at the Westport facility said with good weather, there should be continued good viewing for several days.
Of course, none of the views matched that of the Hubble telescope.
Newspaper Restaurant Review Mentions Westporters Obituary Praise
Its not every restaurant that merits a mention in an obituary. But BridgeportҒs vegetarian Bloodroot restaurant did when a Westporter died this summer and that brought a mention in today֒s Hartford Courant review of the well-known eatery and bookstore.
Customers are committed to Bloodroot, and the restaurant’s staff has a close kinship with them, too,Ӕ the newspaper said.
When 91-year-old Cynthia B. Harrison of Westport died this summer, her children put a paragraph about their mother’s love of going to Bloodroot and being part of the restaurant’s group of friends, into her obituary.
ӓThe obituary is posted, along with a special poster crafted by the restaurant to remember Cynthia; photos of her, and the words We Miss Her,ђ are on the poster, right as you walk in the door. She is remembered at Bloodroot for her cheerful and intelligent spirit.ђ”
Wednesday, August 27, 2003
NY Times Corrects Westport Fire Death Report Error
NY Times Corrects Westport Fire Death Report Error
Todays New York Times carries a correction to its erroneous Aug. 16 report that one person died in a fire in Westport during the Aug. 14 blackout.
ғBecause of an editing error, an article on Aug. 16 about fires during the blackout misidentified the Connecticut city where a woman was killed in a blaze that officials attributed to a candle left burning. It was Waterbury, not Westport, the Times said.
WestportNow called the TimesԒs attention to the error (See WestportNow Aug. 16, 2003).
A Times Metro section employee told WestportNow the correction was delayed because the newspapers e-mail system became “severely compromised by the computer viruses/worms etc.”
Tuesday, August 26, 2003
Mosquitoes, Crows Test Positive for West Nile Virus in Fairfield
So far Westport has not reported any cases, but the state says mosquitoes and crows infected with West Nile virus have been found again in neighboring Fairfield.
It was the second time infected mosquitoes and birds have been found in Fairfield, the state Department of Public Health (DPH) said Tuesday.
Positive mosquitoes or birds have been found in 48 towns in the state this year, including in addition to Fairfield, Stamford, Darien, Redding, Stratford, Monroe, Newtown, Shelton, Trumbull, and Naugatuck in Fairfield County.
The DPH said the mosquitoes trapped in Monroe on Aug. 14 and the ones caught in New Haven Aug. 19 are the type that feed on humans. The others were predominantly bird-biting.
West Nile virus is transmitted to humans through the bite of a mosquito that has picked up the virus by feeding on an infected bird.
The most common symptoms of West Nile virus include fever and headaches. It can also lead to other complications such as encephalitis, meningitis, convulsions, paralysis or death.
There has been one human case of the virus this year in Connecticut. A North Stonington woman in her 60s is recovering after developing symptoms in late July, shortly after a trip to Colorado. Health officials said there is a good chance she did not contract the virus in Connecticut.
Shays Stays in Iraq House Operated by Westports Save the Children
Shays Stays in Iraq House Operated by Westports Save the Children
Rep. Christopher Shays, on a fact-finding mission to the Middle East, deserted his Congressional travel trappings again over the weekend and hooked up with workers from WestportҒs Save the Children in Iraq.
The Fairfield County Republican did the same thing four months ago, becoming the first member of Congress to get into Iraq after the war.
According to The Associated Press, Shays was the only lawmaker to stay overnight in Iraq - once again traveling over the Kuwait border with humanitarian workers rather than with an official delegation.
“We could hear gunfire and there was a break-in at a home three doors down, where one person was shot in the shoulder,” said Shays, who stayed in a house operated by Save the Children on Saturday night.
“Your senses become quite acute. You look at someone who’s looking at you, and they have their hand in their pocket, and you wonder what they have in their pocket.”
He told the AP he stayed the night because “Save the Children employees do it every night.” And he took the opportunity to mingle with Iraqi citizens - something he had little chance to do with the congressional delegation.
“They need things they don’t have - Iraqi police need weapons, Iraq needs electricity and running water,” Shays said. “They need nurses, they need medicine, they need oxygen.”
Shays, who is chairman of a Government Reform subcommittee on defense, said he plans to hold hearings after Congress comes back next month to debate Iraq issues.
Mars Viewing Spurs Interest in Westport Observatory
Mars Viewing Spurs Interest in Westport Observatory
The neighborhood is hopping at Westports Rolnick Observatory on Bayberry Lane as public interest is high in viewing Mars.
The Westport Astronomical Society is hosting visitors to the observatory every evening this week from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. except Sunday.
Cloud cover could hamper tonightҒs viewing.
On Wednesday, Mars will reach its closest point to the earth in 60,000 years.
And attention procrastinators—Mars will not make another neighborly visit this close until 2287.
Police Step Up Speed Enforcement Activities as School Year Opens
Police Step Up Speed Enforcement Activities as School Year Opens
Westport police are stepping up their speed enforcement activities with the opening of public schools Wednesday.
Units have been deployed along streets leading to schools, especially in the North Avenue area around Staples High School and Bedford Middle School, according to motorists passing by the area.
Police made no official announcement of the action, but they have undertaken similar increased enforcement in past years in the days leading to school opening.
Police cars also have escorted some of the buses on the opening days in order to enhance safety.
Westport Playhouse Partners with Ridgefield for 2004 Season
The Westport Country Playhouse, maintaining the-show-must-go-on tradition, has partnered with The Ridgefield Playhouse for Movies and the Performing Arts for its 2004 season while the Westport venue undergoes a major renovation.
The Playhouse said it will produce a shortened season of two plays and a series of special events utilizing the Ridgefield venue as a temporary home while construction takes place. The Playhouse will reopen in 2005, its 75th anniversary year.
In a news release, the Playhouse said its management visited two dozen different venues in Fairfield County in search of an interim stage.
“The Ridgefield Playhouse came out on top for several reasons,” said Joanne Woodward, the Playhouse’s artistic director. “First, it is close to Westport, only 15 miles door-to-door.
It’s a beautiful theatre, recently restored in 2000, with comfortable seating, great sightlines, convenient parking, and all the backstage necessities to produce theatre of the caliber that we strive to bring our audiences.”
In addition to the two plays at The Ridgefield Playhouse, the Kids’ Playhouse will be presented at a location in Westport to be determined, the Playhouse said.
Other Playhouse programming for the transitional 2004 season, including music, film, staged readings, and more, is currently under consideration and will be announced at a later date, the announcement said.
Monday, August 25, 2003
Westport Lampooned in NY International Fringe Festival
Todays New York Times takes a look at the just completed New York International Fringe Festival that includes a skit lampooning Westport, Conn.
Reviewer Bruce Weber writes:”ҒPeas and Carrots,” a sketch comedy show from the Courthouse Theater Company, which is based in Barnstable, Mass., on Cape Cod, has a nice, modest feel and a pleasing, self-aware sophistication.
ғThe best of the six skits in Stephen O’Rourke’s script are the first, Ginger’s Season,ђ a sendup of high society in which an actor posing as an audience member answers his cellphone to take a surprise call from an actress on the stage and gradually gets inveigled into taking part in the social snobbery onstage; and the last, Westport,ђ a rather ingenious lampoon of the decision to invade Iraq by depicting a Connecticut under siege and three denizens of Fairfield County holed up in a suburban house and living with their idea of deprivation: We’re down to our last wheel of brie.ђ
When their liberators finally appear, announcing that civil rights have been restored, one of the Westport women says, ӑWe didn’t use them, anyway. And the soldiers make their exit, vowing to continue their search for ґweapons of mass consumption.Ҕ
The program for the festival contains this description of “Peas and Carrots”: “Six sketches ranging from a drawing room comedy that goes terribly awry to a woman in Westport, CT desperately waiting for her UPS delivery despite the fact that invading forces are fast advancing and have just ‘liberated’ Darien.”
Saturday, August 23, 2003
NY Times Connecticut Section Features Westport Playhouse and Oysters
Sundays New York Times Connecticut section prominently features two Westport stories Җ the renovation of the Westport Country Playhouse and the ongoing dispute between Westport boaters and a Westport doctor-oyster entrepreneur.
The Playhouse story with three photos takes up most of the front page. It continues inside for another half page with four more photos.
The Times reviews the Playhouse history and details the $17 million renovation set to begin at the end of this summers season. Artistic director Joanne Woodward is featured in the story.
But it also contains several errors and an omission.
The newspaper repeats a spelling error in the surname of one of the PlayhouseҒs founders which it also made on April 29 and which it corrected—with some prodding from WestportNow—on May 26.
The Sunday section article by David Cote, assistant drama editor at Time Out magazine, says the Playhouse was founded in 1931 by Lawrence “Langer and his wife Armina Marshall. The correct spelling is Langner (See WestportNow April 29 and May 26, 2003).
The article also identifies him as a member of the Theater Guild, which he was. But he is better known as the co-founder of the Guild (with his wife).
It also says Richard Rodgers was a Westport summer resident when he went to see the Playhouse production of ԓGreen Grow the Lilacs in 1940. Three years later, the play became the Rodgers and Hammerstein legendary hit musical ԓOklahoma!
As Westport author Max Wilk recounts in his ԓOK! The Story of Oklahoma!, Rodgers in fact had a home in Fairfield, not Westport, at the time.
The Times notes that the Playhouse has featured the work of playwright David Wiltse several times and this summer presented the world premiere of his Nazi-era drama, ԓThe Good German.
ԓMr. Wiltse, who lives in the area, is the closest the Playhouse has to a resident playwright, having been produced there four times, the Times said.
And while the story contains numerous quotes from Anne Keefe, the PlayhouseԒs associate artistic director, it fails to say that Keefe is married to Wiltse.
The oyster story is by James Lomuscio, a former Westport News and Westport Magazine editor and a frequent Times contributor.
It is a good review of the dispute involving boaters and plans by Westporter John Garofalo to harvest oysters off of Westport using suspended cages. (See WestportNow July 24, 2003).
Friday, August 22, 2003
Connecticut Post Highlights Saturday Westport
Connecticut Post Highlights Saturday Westport UFO Picnic
Todays Connecticut Post takes a look at Westport-based Smoking Gun Research Agency and its Saturday UFO picnic at Sherwood Island State Park.
Columnist Charles Walsh noted that 24-year-old Westporter Jon Nowinksi, the brains behind the group, is ғdisappointingly normal looking. No Finger-in-a-Light-Socket hair. No counter-rotating eyes.
Smoking Gun’s Web site has details of the picnic, scheduled from noon to sunset. Admission is free.
Man Dies in Merritt Parkway
A 25-year-old Bridgeport man was killed early today in a one-car accident on the Merritt Parkway between exits 42 in Westport and 44 in Fairfield, state police said.
A motorist in another car involved in the accident complained of back and knee pain but did not want to be transported to a hospital, they said.
The Westport Fire Department and Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Service responded to the incident on the northbound side at 12:44 a.m.
The man who died was trapped in the car and had to be extricated, state police said. The car crashed into a tree after striking the other car from behind, police said.
Police later identified the victim as Wilson A. Montero, an employee of the Italian Center in Stamford.
The other driver, David V. Palmer, 33, of Redding, told police he was driving in the right hand lane when Montero’s car approached him from the rear at a high rate of speed and struck his car.
Palmer’s car then spun out and blew a tire before coming to a stop on the shoulder of the right-hand lane, police said.
Thursday, August 21, 2003
Westport Forum Discusses Power Needs
Westport Forum Discusses Power Needs
Westport First Selectwoman Diane Goss Farrell addresses a forum at the Westport Public Library tonight discussing the area’s electric power needs. She told the crowd of about 30 persons: “I don’t think there is anyone in this room who thinks our power supply is adequate.“Panelists discussed the Northeast Utilities plan for a new power line from Middletown to Norwalk and how the public can have input. WestportNow.com photo
I-95 Multi-Vehicle Accident Kills One
I-95 Multi-Vehicle Accident Kills One
A multi-vehicle accident on I-95’s northbound lane near Westport’s exit 17 killed a Brooklyn, N.Y. man and shut down much of the highway today, forcing cars and trucks to get off on local roadways, state police said.
Two people in a car that collided with a tractor-trailer were seriously hurt in the accident. The man had to be extricated from the car by the Westport Fire Department and later died at Norwalk Hospital, police said.
Police identified him as Howard S. Stein, 57. They said his passenger in the car, Louise Forsyth, 56, also of Brooklyn, was hospitalized. The Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Service transported the victims to Norwalk Hospital.
Police said a 1988 Honda driven by Stein moved from the right to the center lane, colliding with a Mack truck. The Honda then hit a third vehicle in the left lane, forcing it into the median barrier.
The 1:50 p.m accident caused a backup that stretched to at least exit 8 in Stamford.
By 4 p.m., the accident had been cleared and drivers were experiencing only the usual late afternoon delays.
Wednesday, August 20, 2003
Weston Road Accident Injures Two
Weston Road Accident Injures Two
A two-car crash late today on Weston Road near Sipperleys Hill Road sent two people to Norwalk Hospital. The injuries were not life-threatening. WestportNow.com photo
Westport to Receive $30,000 More
Westport to Receive $30,000 More State Aid
The state legislation enacted over the weekend to implement Connecticuts 2003-2004 fiscal year budget provides for a $30,000 increase in state aid to Westport, according to the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM).
The lobbying group for ConnecticutҒs member towns and municipalities said Westport was one of the lucky ones.
It said it in a news release that more than 100 of the states 169 municipalities will receive less state aid in the next fiscal year than last.
According to figures compiled by CCM, Westport will receive $1,613,567 this year compared to $1,583,211 last year, a $30,356, or 2 percent, increase.
The numbers include multiple forms of town aid, including educational-cost sharing and other types of state grants.
Among neighboring communities, Wilton had a $46,259 increase and Easton had a $32,432 raise. But aid was cut to Weston by $37,897, Norwalk by $337,290, and Fairfield by $771,349, CCM said.
State legislative sources said increases to towns such as Westport were intended to make up for reductions in past years.
Westport Historical Society Introduces New History Center
Theres more than a new addition to the Westport Historical Society Җ theres a new name. The new facility will be called the Westport History Center at Wheeler House.
The new name was announced to members in the societyҒs newsletter mailed this week.
John Lupton, executive director, said the new name more accurately reflects the mission and goals of the society.
The name of the umbrella organization will remain the Westport Historical Society. Wheeler House is the name of the Victorian mansion that houses the organization on Avery Place opposite Westports Town Hall.
The new addition will be inaugurated next month with an exhibit called ғTV Neighbors: Westport and Weston Television Performers and Personalities 1946-2003.
EditorԒs Note: The editor of WestportNow is a director-at-large of the Westport Historical Society.
EPA Issues Air Quality Warning
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued an unhealthy air quality alert for Thursday for all of Connecticut.
The EPA, which has 11 monitoring stations around the state including one at Westports Sherwood Island State Park, said in a statement:
ғAir quality on Thursday, Aug. 21, is predicted to be unhealthy statewide in Connecticut due to elevated concentrations of ground-level ozone, commonly called smog.
Moderate levels of particulate matter are also expected in Connecticut on Thursday.Ԕ
It said all people, especially children and those with respiratory ailments, should limit strenuous outdoor activity when high ozone levels are expected.
The EPA’s Sherwood Island monitoring station and others in the region can be viewed on a real-time basis at the EPA Web site.
Is There a Second? Town Officials Urged to Adopt Parliamentary Rules
The chairs of Westports boards, commissions and committees got a little gift from the town this week—a primer on parliamentary procedure.
First Selectwoman Diane Goss Farrell sent a copy of the Penguin Book edition of “Parliamentary Procedure at a Glance” to the officials to promote more open government.
The book’s list price is $9.95, but Pat Scully, manager of Farrell’s office who distributed the books, said the town was able to get a discount. About 100 copies were purchased, she said.
In order to continue to insure that public business is processed efficiently, effectively and accurately, we are forwarding to you a copy of ‘Parliamentary Procedure at a Glance by O. Garfield Jones,” Farrell told the chairs in a letter accompanying the book.
More "Is There a Second? Town Officials Urged to Adopt Parliamentary Rules"
Tuesday, August 19, 2003
Workers Inspect Gas Line Fire Aftermath
Construction workers today inspect the site where a pavement resurfacing machine operator struck a 2-1/2-inch gas line Monday behind the police station. Investigators are still trying to determine why the machine’s blade struck the pipe. The operator suffered burns to his arms and neck and was treated and released from Bridgeport Hospital. Note the trees blackened by the flames. Police said the line will be removed because they no longer run natural gas vehicles. WestportNow.com photo
So is Paul Newman Still HUD?
With tongue firmly in cheek, Westports Paul Newman used an op-ed piece in todayҒs New York Times to make fun of the Fox News Network for its suit against political satirist Al Franken.
Fox is suing Franken for using the phrase “fair and balanced” in the title of his new book.
Wrote Newman: In claiming trademark violation, Fox sets a noble example for standing firm against whatever.Ӕ
Unreliable sources report that the Fox suit has inspired Paul Newman, the actor, to file a similar suit in federal court against the Department of Housing and Urban Development, commonly called HUD. Mr. Newman claims piracy of personality and copycat infringement.Ӕ
The Times identifies the author of the column this way: Paul Newman, an actor, is chief executive of Salad King.Ԕ
Monday, August 18, 2003
Workman Burned in Gas Line
Workman Burned in Gas Line Fire Near Police Station A workman repaving the back parking lot at police headquarters hit a gas line today, touching off a small but intense fire that burned him and caused evacuation of the nearby library before firefighters shut down the line and brought it under control. The worker, identified by police as George Courser, 45, of Granby, was taken to Bridgeport Hospital’s burn unit suffering first and second degree burns to his neck and arms. He was treated and released, police said. He is employed by Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming Inc. of Simsbury.
Flames leap from a gas line after a pavement resurfacing machine operator struck it today during repaving of the parking lot behind police headquarters. WestportNow.com photo
Worker Burned in Police Parking
Worker Burned in Police Parking Lot Gas Line Fire
Westport firefighters work to control a fire caused by a worker who hit a gas line with a pavement resurfacing machine behind police headquarters this afternoon. (top) After shutting down the gas line, they wet down the machine (bottom). WestportNow.com photos
Police Rescue Westporter Who Suffered
Police Rescue Westporter Who Suffered Heart Attack During Triathlon
Danbury police rescued a 57-year-old Westport swimmer who apparently suffered a heart attack while competing in a triathlon at Candlewood Lake Saturday morning, The News-Times of Danbury reported.
Robert E. Brown Jr. of Cottage Lane was swimming in the first leg of the Try-It Triathlon when police rushed him ashore. Paramedics resuscitated Brown, and he was in stable condition at Danbury Hospital by afternoon, the newspaper said.
Brown, in the third and final lap of the swimming leg, called to Danbury police monitoring the race from an inflatable boat at about 7 a.m., police said.
Police brought Brown aboard, and he passed out. “We were talking to him fine, said Sgt. Matt McNally, one of the police involved in the rescue. “Then all of a sudden (Officer John Krupinsky) noticed his eyes went up, and that was it.Ԕ
Police got Brown onto a faster Candlewood Lake Patrol Boat also monitoring the race. Police performed CPR on Brown as they approached shore.
“He was barely breathing, he had a weak pulse, said McNally. “As soon as we beached, he lost his pulse.Ԕ
Paramedics on shore continued CPR and used a defibrillator to restore Browns heartbeat. “It seemed like forever, but it was only five minutes,Ҕ said McNally.
Purchase at Westport Library Book Sale Prompts Steinbeck Journey Revisited
Browsing among the paperbacks at last years Westport Library book sale, Mike Lauterborn came across John SteinbeckҒs 1962 best-selling novel Travels With Charley.Ӕ
Now he is about to set off on an adventure retracing the authors journey with his dog named Charley.
The 38-year-old Fairfield businessman said he intends to publish his own book after the eight-to-10 week trip, which he calls ғChasing Charley, according to todayԒs Connecticut Post.
I was thumbing along and I saw a paperback of ӑTravels With Charley,Ҕ he told the newspaper. I love Steinbeck but I had never heard of the book.”
The account supervisor at a Stamford sales promotion agency said he immediately read the book and thought, ӓWouldnt this be cool to do?Ҕ
Using his sales promotional skills, Lauterborn has lined up corporate sponsors for the trip, including ExxonMobil for the gas and Coleman for the camping equipment he will he carrying in his recreational vehicle, the report said.
The newspaper did not say whether Lauterborn has already lined up a publisher. But it does say he wont be traveling with his wife Marlene or his two sons.
Curiously, there was no word whether he has a dog or whether he intends to make it his traveling companion.
State Ceremonies in Westport Marking
State Ceremonies in Westport Marking Sept. 11 Anniversary to be Low-Key
State officials are planning a more intimate remembrance this year for Connecticut victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, compared with last year’s service, according to The Hartford Courant.
Only relatives of state victims have been invited to a gathering at Westport’s Sherwood Island State Park on Sept. 4. They will be the first people to see new sandstone-colored, 8-inch-square granite blocks, each containing the name of one of the 151 victims who lived in the state or had close family ties to Connecticut, the newspaper reported.
Planners are trying to create a more personal setting for the unveiling, said Brian Mattiello, the state official overseeing production of the Westport ceremony.
“What we’ve heard from families is that there was a swirl of activity one year after (the attacks), with world events and the government going through so much,” he said.
“Mostly, what we want to do is focus on the lives that were led by those who were killed on Sept. 11, 2001,” Mattiello said. “That ought to be the focus.”
Hundreds of people gathered at Sherwood Island almost a year ago to dedicate a seaside memorial for the victims of the terrorist attacks. There are no separate plans by Westport to mark the anniversary.
Sunday, August 17, 2003
Heavy Rain Causes Minor Flooding,
Heavy Rain Causes Minor Flooding, Downs Trees
A fast-moving thunderstorm moved through Westport late today, causing some minor flooding on roadways and downing trees, police said.
Flooding was reported in an area of Roseville Road and under the Metro-North railroad bridge on Compo Road South.
High winds downed some trees and lights flickered briefly in some parts of town, but no power outages were reported.
The National Weather Service had issued a thunderstorm warning and flash flood warning for the area a short time before.
Police and fire units were kept busy responding to burglar and fire alarms set off by the storm.
The storm had moved through the area by shortly before 7 p.m.
Saturday, August 16, 2003
Oops: NY Times Erroneously Reports
Oops: NY Times Erroneously Reports Westport Fire Fatality During Blackout
Readers of today’s New York Times were erroneously told Westport suffered a fire fatality during this week’s blackout.
In a roundup of fire activities during the outage, the Times said: “In Westport, Conn., a woman died and her husband and child were badly burned in a blaze that fire officials attributed to a candle left burning during the blackout, The Waterbury Republican-American reported today, according to The Associated Press.”
Despite the careful attribution, neither The AP nor the Waterbury newspaper reported on a Westport fatality. The fire occurred in Waterbury. There were no fires in Westport during the blackout.
Friday, August 15, 2003
NY Times on Playhouses ғAll My Sons: Uneven Performances But Lurching Momentum
Todays New York Times carries a somewhat positive review of the latest Westport Country Playhouse production of Arthur MillerҒs All My SonsӔ starring Richard Dreyfuss and Jill Clayburgh.
Reviewer Bruce Weber said that though the performances, especially Mr. Dreyfuss’s, are uneven, the two stars give the production, directed by Doug Hughes, a charismatic center and a lurching momentum.Ӕ
Webers muted praise of Dreyfuss includesd a note that he retains ғthe stage presence of a star and that from time to time he jolts the production with genuine electricity.
As for Clayburgh, he wrote: ԓMs. Clayburgh, almost all by herself, animates a long and rather slow-moving first act. Looking drawn, lank-haired and wearily determined, and biting off her words so that her lines don’t resonate but land like a hammer on an anvil, she gives off the formidability of a battle-ax.
The reviewer called Hughes’s direction ԓwisely unsubtle, underscoring the play’s strength, which is its undeniably gripping emotional power. He keeps the wrenching moral issues of the play in a vise and makes sure we see the cost to the characters played out on the stage.
Update (8/16/03):In a review in Sunday’s New York Times Connecticut section, Alvin Klein wrote: “Doug Hughes’s staging of the play at the Westport Country Playhouse has power and incandescence.”
Home at Last Westporters head
Home at Last
Westporters head to their cars after getting off one of the first Metro-North trains to arrive in Westport today as limited service from Grand Central Terminal resumed following the blackout. WestportNow.com photo
Power Problems + Summer Friday
Power Problems + Summer Friday = Head to the Beach
With power problems continuing in Manhattan and little train service, not to mention it’s a summer Friday, many Westporters just headed to Compo Beach today. WestportNow.com photo
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Westport Bus Schedule
Coastal Link Bus Schedule
Westport Town Web site
Westport School District
Westport Public Library
Westport Parks & Recreation
PAL Ice Rink
Westport Health District
Animal Shelter Adv. WASA
Westport Arts Center
Westport Historical Society
Westport Data
Westport Crime Reports
Earthplace
We Green Westport
Green Village Initiative
Neighbors & Newcomers
Westport Cinema Initiative
Westport Locals for Locals
League of Women Voters
Chamber of Commerce
Downtown Merchants Assn.
Levitt Pavilion
Sherwood Is. Nature Center
National Weather Service
Westport Tide Table
Westport Area Restaurants
Westport Yellow Pages
Westport Area Movie Times
Westport Map
Westport Census Info
RSS 2.0
Atom
2 Farm Shares
The Better Crumb
BookTrib
Chicken Spaghetti
Crisis Management for Business
CT Bites
CT News Junkie
Dayle's Poetry
Deirdre’s Sloppy Studio
Enterprise CT
Farewell Travels
Fishing-Foto-Fun (Dick Alley)
Friends of Westport Parks/Rec
French Food & Me
Hostile Entry
Gordon's Journal
Got Questions? Ask Doris
Illuminara
Jane Green
Jessica Bram's Blog
Kosher Like Me
Living with Technology
MacaroniKid
Major Knitter
Make & Mingle
Much Ado About Stuffing
Neurotwitch
Nina Pomeroy Photography
Open the Door
Our Town Crier
Prill Boyle's Defying Gravity
RE Gem of the Week
Robert Steven Williams
Robin's Resources
Simply Chicks
Sherwood Island Friends
Sphere
Taking the Kids
Videler Photography
Westport Commuter
Westport Weather Website
Westport's Knitting Librarian
Who, What, When–and Y
Wild Side of Westport
Y's Women
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Note: WestportNow Publisher Gordon F. Joseloff is also First Selectman of Westport