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Friday, August 31, 2007

Westport Police Arrest Fairfield Man on Larceny Charge

Westport police, assisted by Fairfield police, today arrested a Fairfield man on attempted larceny charges.

Burr “Chip” Perry, 45, was taken into custody at his home without incident, said Lt. Gorden Hiltz. He was charged with criminal attempt of larceny first-degree.

‘The arrest stems from an ongoing investigation by the Westport Police Detective Division,” Hiltz said without providing details.

A Fairfield newspaper reported earlier this month that Perry was arrested by Fairfield police Aug. 13 following a “spree of terror” in the Southport area that also included an incident in July in Westport.

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08/31/07 09:04 PM Comments (0) • Permalink •

Feet Up, Fishing and a Few Beers

These fishermen on Westport’s Saugatuck River had a relaxing time today as they put up their feet and had a few beers. Meanwhile, roadways were busy and trains were crowded as people got an early start on the Labor Day weekend. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

08/31/07 04:30 PM Comments (0) • Permalink •

Westport Students Do Well in CAPT Tests

UPDATE Westport students performed well in the Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT) this year, well surpassing state levels and on par with neighboring suburban districts in Wilton and Weston, according to the state Department of Education.

According to data released Thursday, of 10th grade students tested at Staples High School, 96.3 performed at proficiency level or above in math; 97.4 percent were at least proficient in science; 98.4 in reached that level in reading; and 97.9 percent in writing.

In Weston and Wilton the comparable numbers were 98.5 and 96.6 in math; 98.5 and 96.9 in science; 98.0 and 97.2 in reading; and 95.6 and 97.5 in writing.

The state said this year’s test was a new one with changes in content, format, length and scoring and therefore its data cannot be directly compared with the first two versions of the test.

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08/31/07 12:24 AM Comments (2) • Permalink •

Nature’s Colors

Nature’s colors were evident Thursday at the Westport Farmers Market in the parking lot of the Westport Country Playhouse. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

08/31/07 12:20 AM Comments (0) • Permalink •

Friday, August 31, 2007

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - Group Show II
11 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - Westport Public Library - Friday Fun Films
7 p.m. - Toquet Hall - Guitar Hero Tournament
8 p.m. - Westport Country Playhouse - “Being Alive!”

08/31/07 12:03 AM Comments (0) • Permalink •

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Parental Health Concerns Persist at King’s Highway

By Linda Alvkall

UPDATE Although Westport’s King’s Highway Elementary School opened on schedule Wednesday, some parents said today they are still concerned about the health of their children.

The parents expressed their concern at a meeting of the Special Kings’s Highway Elementary School Maintenance Committee in Town Hall.

First Selectman Gordon Joseloff appointed the committee in July to investigate parental complaints about air quality at the school. The committee uncovered mold in the school gymnasium and oversaw its remediation.

“I think that what you are hearing among the parents…is that I don’t feel from Nancy (Harris, assistant superientendent) and Elliott (Landon, superintendent of schools) yet that the administration is really willing in a systemic way to validate, you know, the fact that there are air quality issues that need to be followed,” said Lauren Tarshis, a King’s Highway parent and committee member.

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08/30/07 09:16 PM Comments (1) • Permalink •

Former Westport Teacher Gets 10 Years on Child Porn Charges

A federal judge in New Haven today sentenced retired Westport middle school teacher Paul Held to 10 years in prison on federal child pornography charges.
Paul Held: collected photos of former students. File photo

U.S. District Judge Mark R. Kravitz also ordered Held, 69, to serve a lifetime term of supervised release and pay a fine of $30,000, according to U.S. Attorney Kevin O’Connor.

When he pleaded guilty last March to one count of receipt of child pornography, federal officials called the former Bedford Middle School art teacher “one of the most prolific collectors of child pornography” ever seen in Connecticut. (See WestportNow March 26, 2007)

During today’s sentencing proceeding, it was also revealed that Held had taken and collected voyeuristic photos of young girls, including his former students, the U.S Attorney’s Office said.

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08/30/07 08:55 PM Comments (0) • Permalink •

Helping Keep Westport Beautiful

Members of the Westport Garden Club were out today weeding and clipping bushes and edging at the Westport Public Library helping to keep Westport beautiful. Elena Brynes (l) and Nancy Stewart spent several hours around the library, one of many Westport areas the club helps maintain. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

08/30/07 07:24 PM Comments (0) • Permalink •

Seatbelt Helps Merritt Motorist Avoid Serious Injury

Firefighters are crediting use of a seatbelt and airbags for helping a driver avoid serious injury early today in a one-car rollover on the Merritt Parkway near Exit 42 in Westport.

The department said they received a call about the accident at 1:25 a.m. about a mile north of Exit 42. On arrival, they found a car which had been southbound had crossed over the median and rolled over.

The southbound driver, who was not identified, narrowly missed a car driving northbound. He told police he swerved to avoid an animal in the roadway.

The driver was wearing his seatbelt and the side airbags activated preventing serious injuries, said Assistant Chief Larry Conklin. He suffered minor scrapes and bruises and did not require transport to the hospital.

08/30/07 08:00 AM Comments (5) • Permalink •

Party Time

Mothers of students at Green’s Farms Elementary School held their fourth annual “First Day of School Party” Wednesday at Westport’s Compo Beach. Moms dropped their children off at Green’s Farms and then drove to Compo for the social event and to “catch up” after summer vacation. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

08/30/07 12:13 AM Comments (0) • Permalink •

Thursday, August 30, 2007

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Westport Country Playhouse - Farmers Market
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - Group Show II
2 p.m. - Westport Public Library - Sizzling Summer Film Series: “Atlantic City”
5 p.m. – Town Hall Room 309/307 – Special Kings Highway School Maintenance Committee (live coverage cable channel 79 and westportct.gov)
7:45 p.m. – Town Hall Room 201 – RTM Ordinance Committee
8 p.m. - Westport Country Playhouse - “Being Alive!

08/30/07 12:05 AM Comments (0) • Permalink •

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Doggie Practice

Westport’s Grace K. Salmon Park was transformed today into a practice showcase with stakes and ribbons simulating a ring where dogs and trainers run through their routines. The practice was in preparation for February’s Westminster Dog Show at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Westporter Lori Nicoll put Tessa, a 6-month-old Irish Setter, through her paces. Tessa’s grandfather, Fonzi, won two best Irish Setter awards in two different years. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

08/29/07 09:27 PM Comments (0) • Permalink •

Westport Police Seek Bear Theft Suspect

Westport police today issued a surveillance photo of a man wanted in connection with the theft of a wooden bear worth $600 from outside a gas station. WestportNow.com Image
This man is suspected of taking a wooden bear from outside the BP gas station on Post Road East. Contributed photos

Detective George Taylor said the theft occurred Aug. 10 shortly before 10 p.m. at the BP gas station at 1510 Post Road East.

The suspect was described as a white male in his 20s or early 30s with a muscular built and bald head.

A surveillance video showed the suspect entered the store, purchased a pack of cigarettes, exited the store and then placed the bear into his vehicle, Taylor said.

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08/29/07 03:05 PM Comments (5) • Permalink •

Surveying the King’s Highway School Gym

Gavin Anderson (l) points out today to Westport First Selectman Gordon Joseloff where mold had been found in the King’s Highway Elementary School gym. Anderson headed a special committee appointed by Joseloff investigating parental complaints about air quality at the school. The two toured the school after greeting parents and students outside as the school reopened on schedule following the summer vacation. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

08/29/07 11:19 AM Comments (0) • Permalink •

Greeting the Students

Among those greeting students and parents as King’s Highway Elementary School reopened today were Westport First Selectman Gordon Joseloff (r) and Gavin Anderson (l). In July, Joseloff appointed a special committee headed by Anderson to investigate parental complaints about air quality at the school. After intensive remediation efforts in August, the committee recommended the school open on time. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

08/29/07 11:10 AM Comments (0) • Permalink •

Welcome Back!

Today was the first day of school for Westport students. At King’s Highway Elementary School, Principal Maria Castelluccio greeted a returning student while Assistant Principal Anne Nesbitt (r) looked on. The school welcomed back about 500 students following recent weeks of controversy about air quality issues there. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo

08/29/07 10:25 AM Comments (0) • Permalink •

Capturing the Moment

Proud Westport mom Christy Colasurdo captures first day back at school pose today at King’s Highway Elementary School with sons Kiernan, 5, (l), who enters kindergarten, and Charlie, 7, entering second grade. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

08/29/07 10:20 AM Comments (0) • Permalink •

Hand Holding Time

WestportNow.com Image
It was hand holding time as youngsters boarded their school bus today at Westport’s Vani Court for the first day of school. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Elaine Daignault for WestportNow.com

08/29/07 10:19 AM Comments (0) • Permalink •

Summer is Over

The reality that summer is over came to many Westport youngsters today as they boarded buses for the first day of school. Geeta Lochan of Baker Avenue watches as her second grader Sophia and fourth grader Tyler board their bus to Saugatuck Elementary School. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

08/29/07 10:18 AM Comments (1) • Permalink •

Hard to Say Goodbye

It’s a new school, a new town and a new house all in one week for the Maciors formerly of Beverly, Mass. Tom and Cindy Macior hug daughter Olivia today on her first day of first grade at Westport’s King’s Highway Elementary School. Later this week, the Maciors will move out of their temporary quarters in a hotel and move into their new house on River Lane. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

08/29/07 10:15 AM Comments (0) • Permalink •

Health District Issues West Nile Virus Avoidance Tips

Following confirmation of mosquitoes with West Nile Virus in Westport, the Westport Weston Health District today issued a list of precautions residents can take to limit their exposure to mosquitoes, particularly in the hours around dusk and dawn.

The state Department of Public Health announced Tuesday that mosquitoes with the virus were found at Sherwood Island State Park on Aug. 20. (See WestportNow Aug. 28, 2007)

The district said West Nile Virus can cause a range of symptoms, from very mild to severe.

The elderly and those with compromised immune systems are most at risk. Residents are urged to avoid outdoor activities between dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active, the district said in a news release.

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08/29/07 09:48 AM Comments (0) • Permalink •

Starbucks Short Circuit Brings Out Firefighters

A short circuit in an electrical strip touched off a fire alarm early today at a Starbucks coffee shop on Westport’s Post Road East, fire officials said.

There was no fire and no damage other than to the power strip, according to Assistant Chief Robert Kepchar.

He said the department responded to the store at 925 Post Road East at 2:26 a.m. on an automatic alarm and once inside found a heavy odor of plastic burnng.

Using thermal imaging cameras, the firefighters found a shorted electrical power strip in a small puddle of water as the source of the odor, Kepchar said.

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08/29/07 07:47 AM Comments (0) • Permalink •

Heading Home

This week’s warmer temperatures have prompted some boaters to stay on Long Island Sound into the evenng. This boater heads home to the Ned Dimes Marina at Westport’s Compo Beach. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

08/29/07 12:07 AM Comments (0) • Permalink •

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Westport Public Schools - Students’ first day
9 a.m. - Westport Public Library - Me Too! a Preschool Movie Special
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - Group Show II
1 p.m. - 5 p.m. - Westport Public Libary - Teen Summer Book Discussion: “Fast Food Nation” book and movie
2 p.m. and 8 p.m. - Westport Country Playhouse - “Being Alive!”
7:45 p.m. – Town Hall Room 201 – RTM Rules Committee

08/29/07 12:05 AM Comments (0) • Permalink •

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Westport Property Transfers August 20-24, 2007

Westport property transfers as reported by the Town Clerk’s office for the period Aug. 20-24, 2007:

Pat OMalley to Rosemary R. Magner, 19 Strathmore Lane paid in Norwalk, $460,000 WN property.jpg

Eunecir C. Guimares et al to Bank of America NA-TR, 296 Greens Farms Road, $450,000

David Stoner and Company LLC to William and Erika S. Carter, 18 Timber Lane, $1,750,000

Renata Scoccia TR to Lisa M. Kaseff, 7 Rainey Lane, $1,090,000

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08/28/07 10:46 PM Comments (0) • Permalink •

West Nile Virus Found in Mosquitoes in Westport

The state Department of Public Health said today that a pool of mosquitoes collected in Westport was found to have West Nile Virus.

The mosquitoes were collected Aug. 20 at Sherwood Island State Park, the department said. The species were culix pipiens, which is a bird biting mosquito, it said.

It was the first time in two years that mosquitoes have tested positive for the virus in Westport. However the discovery was not unexpected since the virus has been found this year in surrounding communities, according to health officials.

The department also said that mosquitoes trapped Aug. 16 in Plainfield have tested positive for the rare eastern equine encephalitis virus.

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08/28/07 06:28 PM Comments (0) • Permalink •

Rell Thanks Westport Firefighter for Michigan Duty

Gov. M. Jodi Rell today thanked Westport firefighter Michael Kronick and other members of a Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection fire crew for efforts in fighting wildfires in Michigan. WestportNow.com Image
Mike Kronick: Back from Michigan. File photo

Kronick and 16 other firefighters from the Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew returned Monday from the two-week assignment.

“These brave men and women volunteered to spend time away from home and family to work long days in hazardous conditions,” Rell said in a statement. “We are very proud of Michael and thank him for his leadership. We are very proud of the entire crew.”

The crew was deployed to the Sleeper Lake fire, which is 61 miles west of Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., the governor’s office said. It said the fire is listed at about 18,000 acres and is burning in marshland and upland pine.

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08/28/07 04:06 PM Comments (0) • Permalink •

Yalies Entertain at Rotary

Yale University’s all-female a cappella group Proof of the Pudding stopped in Westport today to entertain the Westport Rotary Club. Among its members is Staples High School graduate Natalie Carlson (5th l.). (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Richard Epstein for WestportNow.com

08/28/07 03:39 PM Comments (0) • Permalink •

Morning Walk

A couple of visitors enjoyed an early morning walk today at Westport’s Compo Beach. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

08/28/07 02:45 PM Comments (0) • Permalink •

Going Down: 22 High Point Road

Workers today demolished the house at 22 High Point Road off Long Lots Road. The 1949-built, 2,637-square-foot ranch on one acre changed hands this month for $1 million. It was the WestportNow Teardown of the Day on Aug. 14. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

08/28/07 11:03 AM Comments (0) • Permalink •

Compo Scene

The Pavilion framed Monday’s bright morning sky at Westport’s Compo Beach. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

08/28/07 12:13 AM Comments (0) • Permalink •

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

8 a.m. - Westport Public Schools - Staff Development Day
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - Group Show II
10 a.m. - Town Hall Room 309 - Arts Advisory Committee
1 p.m. - 5 p.m. - Westport Public Libary - Teen Summer Book Discussion: “Touching the Void” book and movie
7 p.m. – Town Hall Room 309 – Historic District Commission
8 p.m. - Westport Country Playhouse - “Being Alive!”

08/28/07 12:05 AM Comments (0) • Permalink •

Monday, August 27, 2007

Woman’s Club Marks 100th Anniversary With Book

Members of the Westport Woman’s Club show off a new book marking the club’s 100th anniversary this year. The book,“A Rare Woman’s Club: The First Hundred Years of the Westport Woman’s Club 1907-2007,” will make its public debut Wednesday at 2 p.m. at a reception at the Westport Historical Society. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

08/27/07 06:03 PM Comments (0) • Permalink •

Slow Go

It was another day of slow going along Wilton Road in Westport today as utility work continued along the roadway. A sewer line is being installed for nine new homes in the ARS development on Partrick Road. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com