Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Skeleton Team
Tricker or treaters along Westport’s Juniper Road tonight ran into a couple of scary characters ready to hit the road. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Patty Strauss for WestportNow.com
Poll Shows Shays Leads by Nine
A poll from Majority Watch shows that incumbent Republican Christopher Shays leads Democrat challenger Diane Farrell by nine points for the 4th Congressional District in the polls.
According to the poll, Shays has 52 percent to Farrell’s 43 percent.
During Oct. 24-26, the organization interviewed 976 people for the poll.
Constituent Dynamics, which is based in Seattle, oversees the Major Watch project, which has completed polls for 60 races across the country.
Westport Property Transfers Oct. 23-27, 2006
Westport property transfers as reported by the Town Clerk’s office for the period Oct. 23-27, 2006:
Ralph, John and Anthony Deangelis to Colleen Osorio, 1 Jennie Lane, $735,000 
Frank B. and Judith H. Muller to teoman and Leonor Dao Turut, 46 Marion Road, $1,135,000
Imperial Plaza LLC to Connecticut Light & Power Co., easement, 224 Post Road East, $119,000
Wamu Shamu LLC to Connecticut Light & Power Co., easement, 188 Post Road West, $29,400
Richard E. Voigt to Connecticut Light and Power Co., easement, 1700 Post Road East, $70,000
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Head Turner
A Westport Halloween celebrant tonight appeared to get some attention from a figure standing watch over revelers. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Ward French for WestportNow.com
Zoning Amendment Hearing Postponed
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The Westport Planning and Zoning Commission will be considering a zoning amendment that will allow residents not to count wetlands when determining lot size, but it won’t take up the application until possibly January.
The legal notice for Thursday’s hearing and a press release said the commission will take up the application, but P&Z Director Laurence Bradley said today the matter will be opened and continued.
It remains unclear when the application will be taken up, he said, but it could be in January.
Right now, when calculating lots that do not conform to the zoning regulations, he said, wetlands and slopes are included.
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Scary Doings on Soundview Drive
There were some scary Halloween doings on Westport’s Soundview Drive tonight. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo
Halloween Night Out
These youngsters were among hundreds who made their way through Westport’s Compo Beach area tonight as they sought Halloween goodies. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo
Trick or Treating at Sunset
These youngsters were among the early trick or treaters tonight along Westport’s Sandhopper Trail just after sunset. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo
Halloween Gathering
It was Halloween fun and games tonight for these Westport youngsters at Partick Road and Crawford Road. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Larry Untermeyer for WestportNow.com
Trunk-or-Treating
These Westport youngsters gathered tonight at Patrick Road and Crawford Road for cider, pizza, candy and other goodies. Known as “trunk-or-treating” or Halloween tailgating, the community event substitutes a family outing for the riskier practice of going door-to-door on narrow, poorly lit streets. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Larry Untermeyer for WestportNow.com
All Gone: 9 Ambler Road
Within hours of today’s posting as WestportNow’s Teardown of the Day, the house at 9 Ambler Road was demolished.The property sold this month for $690,000. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Town Clerk’s Office Open Saturday for Absentee Ballots
Westport Town Clerk Patricia Strauss announced today that her office will be open on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon to accommodate voters applying for an absentee ballot to vote in the Nov. 7 election.
Absentee ballots are available at the Town Clerk’s office daily, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. They will be available through Monday, Nov. 6 until 4:30 p.m.
The Town Clerk’s office is located in the Town Hall at 110 Myrtle Ave., Room 105.
Applications for absentee ballots and other important Election Day information can be downloaded from the Town of Westport Web site under News & Happenings located on the front page at www.westportct.gov .
WestportNow Teardown of the Day: 9 Ambler Road
Westport officials issued a demolition permit on Monday for the house at 9 Ambler Road. The house sold this month for $690,000. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Westport’s Best Trick-or-Treat Streets
By Fran
WestportNow Consumer Correspondent(Editor’s note: This column first ran two years ago and was one of Fran’s most popular. It is reprinted here for those who may have missed it the first time around.)
Isn’t it ironic and somewhat poignant that when it comes to trick-or-treating neighborhoods, what kids really want is Westport in its pre-teardown state: small houses in cozy neighborhoods, densely packed, short front walks, with porches sporting cheery (or scary) jack-o-lanterns?
Gault Avenue: one of Westport’s best trick-or-treat streets. WestportNow.com photo
Fortunately, Westport has a few of those neighborhoods left, and on Halloween night these treasured places become wildly popular.
(Surprisingly, one of our town֒s newest and least New England-style developments is also highly sought by trick-or-treaters.)
The good-hearted residents of these neighborhoods return the compliment by going all out for the towns ghosts, goblins, grim reapers, and Little Mermaids.
For the new to town or uninitiated, here are some of the best spots to score the biggest cache of Halloween loot.
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Looks Almost Like Summer
With a break in the chilly weather, sailors took to the water off of Westport’s Compo Beach on Monday at sunset. The warmer weather is expected to continue today. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com
Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2006
8 p.m. - Westport Country Playhouse - “Old Wicked Songs”
Monday, October 30, 2006
Playing Prisoner
King’s Highway Elementary second graders took a walking tour of downtown Westport recently, including police headquarters, a Bank of America branch, and the Westport-Weston Family Y. The focus of the exercise was to learn about the meaning of commerce and the difference between goods and services. The students took turns in a holding cell at police headquarters. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) C. Malkin for WestportNow.com
New Poll Gives Farrell Edge
A new poll published today gives Democrat Diane Farrell a 4 point advantage over Rep. Christopher Shays in Connecticut’s 4th Congressional District race.
But because the latest poll carries a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points, it also suggests that the closely watched contest remains a statistical dead heat.
Sponsored by the Manchester Journal Inquirer and The Day of New London, the poll by Research 2000, an Olney, Md., polling firm, of 600 likely voters in the 4th Congressional District was conducted by telephone between Thursday and Saturday.
It shows the former Westport first selectwoman leading Shays by a 47 percent to 43 percent margin, with 10 percent undecided.
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Regional Cooperation
Westport Police Sgt. Foti Koskinas suits up for participation in the multi-town diving and rescue training operation in the Cavalry Road area this morning. Twelve Westport firefighters and police officers participated in the training in a group that totaled 30 from Westport, Norwalk and Wilton. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Staples Boys Soccer Finishes Top of FCIAC
Defender Greg Bachman tussles with a Danbury foe. Staples won 1-0, and is the top seed in the FCIAC tournament. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Amy Lamb for WestportNow.com
The Staples boys soccer team held off a determined Danbury squad 1-0 today at Albie Loeffler Field.
The win—earned with just 10 minutes left in the game—gave the Wreckers a final regular season record of 13-1-2, tops in the FCIAC.
As the first seed in the FCIAC tournament, Staples plays the fourth-place team at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday night, at Fairfield Ludlowe High School.
The winning goal was scored by defender Craig Wolgast, off a Matt Lamb corner kick.
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Board’s Y Decision Appealed
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A resident living near Camp Mahackeno has filed a law suit to overturn the Flood and Erosion Control Board’s approval of the Westport-Weston Family Y’s plan to construct a new facility at the camp.
Attorney Edward Lerner filed an appeal in Stamford Superior Court on Friday on behalf of his client Arthur Cohen, who lives on Old Hill Road. It was served to various Westport officials on Saturday.
The suit cites the Flood and Erosion Control Board, the state Department of Environmental Protection and the Westport-Weston Family Y.
The suit states that the board acted “illegally arbitrarily and in abuse of the discretion vested in it and in violation of its own regulations and state law” for 10 reasons.
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CLASP Hosts Fashion Show Wednesday
A fashion show and luncheon supporting CLASP Homes programs will be held on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. at the Westport Woman’s Club.
CLASP Homes provides supports and opportunities to adults with developmental disabilities.
The show features clothing from J. Jill and will be modeled by people who are supported by CLASP programs.
“We have worked hard to raise awareness in our community about who we are and what important work we do,” said Tracy Flood, CLASP president. “Last year was a tremendous success and the models are very excited about the upcoming show.”
In addition to the luncheon and the fashion show, there will be a silent auction. Tickets for the luncheon are $60 and can be purchased by calling (203) 226-7895 ext. 144.
Fall Cleanup
Westport residents are pulling out their leaf blowers and rakes to clean up leaves on their lawns. The town’s yard waste facility on Bayberry Lane is open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays. On Saturday it is open 7 a.m. to noon. In early November through December, the facility is open until 3 p.m. on Saturdays. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com
Edwards Named to State Committee
Westport Public Works Director Stephen Edwards will serve as an ad hoc member of the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority to vote on issues concerning the Bridgeport project, Gov. M. Jodi Rell announced today.
The Bridgeport Project provides solid waste disposal and recycling services to 20 Connecticut municipalities in Fairfield and New Haven counties. The project consists of a 2,250 ton-per-day mass-burn trash-to-energy facility, eight transfer stations, two landfills, a regional recycling center and the Children’s Garbage Museum.
“Steve brings a wealth of experience to this position and his dedication to the community is a logical extension of the service he has provided to the citizens of Connecticut for more than 20 years,” Rell said in a statement.
“His concern for the well-being of our state, combined with his professional background, makes him well-qualified to serve on the authority as an ad hoc member.”
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Treasure Hunting
The high winds brought windsurfers to Westport’s Compo Beach on Sunday, but the low tides brought treasure hunters too. The temperatures are forecasted to rise today compared to Sunday. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com
Monday, Oct. 30, 2006
7 p.m. – Town Hall Room 201 – RTM Transit Committee
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Broadway at the Senior Center
It was just about standing room only as the Center for Senior Activities filled to overflowing today for “Broadway Moments,” a fast-paced revue featuring some of the best loved music from Broadway musicals from the 1940s to the present. The show was presented by The Friends of the Center for Senior Activities thanks to a grant from the Mortimer Levitt Foundation. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com
Heart Walk at Sherwood Island
Thousnds of persons took part in today’s American Heart Association-sponsored Fairfield County Heart Walk at Westport’s Sherwood Island State Park. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Stephen Rubin for WestportNow.com
Connecticut Post Endorses Shays
The Connecticut Post, which endorsed Democrat Diane Farrell two years ago, today endorsed incumbent Republican Christopher Shays for re-election. The newspaper is published in Bridgeport, where Shays lives.
The text of the editorial: “Even more so than two years ago, voters in Fairfield County’s 4th Congressional District face a gut-wrenching decision at the polls on Nov. 7 in a campaign that is being viewed nationally as a bellwether of American politics in 2006.
“The race pits a rematch between 19-year Republican incumbent Christopher Shays of Bridgeport and his challenger; Democrat Diane Farrell, the former first selectwoman of Westport.
“Both are articulate, progressive politicians who are well versed on the issues, the district and its citizens. They are more alike on issues than apart. Shays’ experience aside, either candidate would make a fine congressperson for the district, which covers lower Fairfield County and swings northward from Bridgeport into the lower Naugatuck Valley.
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Saturday, October 28, 2006
Flying High
Saturday’s stormy weather off Westport’s Compo Beach was perfect for some kite surfing/boarding. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Larry Untermeyer for WestportNow.com
Compo Storm
Saturday’s storm left Westport’s Compo Beach with few visitors. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com
Sunday, Oct. 29, 2006
10 a.m. - Sherwood Island State Park - Fairfield County Heart Walk
1:30 p.m. - Westport Center for Senior Activities - “Broadway Moments”
3 p.m. - Westport Country Playhouse - “Old Wicked Songs”
Playhouse “Spooktacular”
The Westport Country Playhouse staged its first annual “Halloween Spooktacular” today with Tazewell Thompson (l), Playhouse artistic director, reading Halloween stories to youngsters followed by a costume parade across the stage. The free event was the Playhouse’s Halloween treat to the community. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo
Shays Gets a Boost from Sen. McCain
Sen John McCain (l) of Arizona was in Westport today to give a boost to incumbent Republican Rep. Christopher Shays in his battle against Democratic candidate Diane Farrell. The two are shown at a Stamford rally following the Westport event. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Sean Timmins for WestportNow.com
Surf’‘s Up
Today’s high winds and storm conditions were just right for some kite surfing/boarding at Westport’s Compo Beach. The kite surfers are mostlyfrom Westport and Norwalk and been participating in the sport for about four years. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Larry Untermeyer for WestportNow.com
Realtime NY Metro-area traffic reports from Traffic.com
PROPERTY TRANSFERS
Westport Property Transfers Oct. 23-27, 2006MORE >>
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