Friday, September 30, 2011
Showing Poise Under Pressure
Staples’ Dylan Hoy shows poise under pressure in today’s 2-2 tie with Norwalk. The junior striker scored both Wrecker goals at Loeffler Field. Staples, now 5-0-1, hosts Brien McMahon on Monday at 4 p.m. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Carl McNair for WestportNow.com
Staples Boys Soccer Ties 2-2 With Norwalk
Staples and Norwalk tied 2-2 today, in a boys soccer match that delivered all it promised.
Staples’ Ben Root (l) and Dylan Evans have their hands full with Norwalk’s Santiago Muriel. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Carl McNair for WestportNow.com
The Wreckers and Bears -– two of the top teams in the state –- clashed at Staples’s Loeffler Field. The large crowd saw a nearly scoreless first half.
Suddenly -– with just eight seconds remaining -– Staples’ David Hoffman fed Dylan Hoy on the left side. The junior attacker slotted home a perfect goal.
The Bears came out on fire in the second half, but the Wreckers made it 2-0 in the 51st minute. Ben Root won a ball, and found Lorenz Esposito wide.
He laid off to Max Hoberman, who beat his man into the corner and launched a cross. The shot was saved – but Hoy was there to knock in his second goal of the day.
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More Coastal Flooding
Today;s high tide brought more flooding along Westport’s shoreline This was the scene at Burying Hill Beach. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com
WestportNow Teardown of the Day: 7 Burritt’s Landing N.
An application for a permit to demolish the house at Westport’s 7 Burritt’s Landing North, off Saugatuck Avenue, is in process. Built in 1958, the two-story contemporary has 3,714 square feet and is situated on a 1.25-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
Himes Tours Irene’s Toll on Downtown Businesses
By James Lomuscio
Though Hurricane Irene hit a month ago, its effect is still being felt on Westport’s Main Street, where U.S. Congressman Jim Himes got a first hand look today at business property damage and injury to the bottom line.
The sign in Chico’s window on Westport’s Main Street seemed to say it all as Rep. Jim Himes (D-4) and Westport First Selectman Gordon Joseloff toured businesses impacted by Irene. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
The sign in Chico’s window seemed to say it all: “Due to Hurricane Irene Our Boutique is Temporarily Closed.”
Chico’s was one of three businesses that remain shuttered due to Irene. The others are Lulumon Athletica at 91 Main St. and Theory at 89.
Himes, who was accompanied by First Selectman Gordon Joseloff, Fire Chief Andrew Kingsbury, state Rep, Jonathan Steinberg, and Tom Nocera, spokesman for the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA), called the damage Irene caused to businesses upsetting, especially since most have been struggling since the economic downturn.
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Westport Property Transfers Sept. 12 - 16, 2011
Westport property transfers as reported by the Town Clerk’s office for the period Sept. 12 - 16, 2011:
Jarvis and Michelle Bowers Trs. to Geoffrey R. and Emily Robb King, 7 Keyser Road, $1,485,000
Sharon and John L. Kurland Trus to Moneka and James J. Krouse, 16 Pier Way Landing, $1,350,000
Drumlin LLC and Christopher Kaminski, 48 Drumlin Road, $410,000
David P. Steinmetz to Sally R. K. and Stephen E. Fisk, 23 Maple Ave. South, $960,000
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Himes Tours Irene-Impacted Businesses on Main Street
Rep. Jim Himes (D-4) toured Westport Main Street today to visit businesses impacted by Tropical Storm Irene. Joining him in front of the Chico’s clothing boutique still closed because of the storm were (l-r) state Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, Westport First Selectman Gordon Joseloff, and Tom Nocera, public affairs specialist with the U.S. Small Business Administration. The officials stressed to business owners the availability of federal funds to help recover from the storm. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Post-Storm Tales from the Liquor Locker
Harvey Skolnick (r), owner of Main Street’s Liquor Locker, tells some official visitors today that Tropical Storm Irene caused only minimal damage because he was able to get much of his stock off the floor before flood waters rose several feet in his store. Listening are (l-r) Westport Fire Chief Andrew Kingsbury, Tom Nocera of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Rep. Jim Himes (D-4), and Westport First Selectman Gordon Joseloff. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
With October Comes Pumpkins
With October a day away, Geiger’s Garden Center on Westport’s Post Road East already has plenty of pumpkins to choose from. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com
Friday, September 30, 2011
9:30 a.m. - Westport Arts Center - ArtCafé
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “Love: In the Eye of the Beholder” & “Malawi With Love”
8 p.m. - Town Hall Theatre - Westport Community Theatre: “Moonlight and Magnolias”
See more events: Celebrate Westport Calendar
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Pancake Breakfast Sunday Supports Wakeman Farm
Mike Aitkenhead and his wife Carrie appear on a poster promoting Sunday’s pancake breakfast. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo
A pancake breakfast and “pop-up” farmers market will take place at the Wakeman Town Farm Sustainability Center, 124 Cross Highway, from 9 a.m. to noon on Sunday to raise funds for the town-owned facility.
Staples environmental science teacher Mike Aitkenhead and his wife Carrie, who are returning to the farm to live and offer a teaching program there, will be on hand as will be volunteers who will help run the facility as part of a new town committee.
The $5 breakfast will feature a menu from Christie’s County Store that includes fresh pancakes, nitrate-free bacon and fresh maple syrup. The market will include local vendors and craftspeople selling everything from artisanal foods to handmade crafts.
The Aitkenheads were forced to leave the farm when GVI ended its lease of the farm last month. GVI had hired Michael Aitkenhead to run the farm but did not renew his contract, causing a flurry of objections from Staples students as well as criticism of GVI.
Dark Afternoon
Rain then sunshine then heavy rains again in late afternoon made up the weather pattern in Westport today. View is looking west from Post Road East near Compo Road. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com
Heavy Rains Cause Power Outages
UPDATE Heavy rains today led to power outages in Westport, Connecticut Light & Power Company said.
Westport firefighters at the scene of a downed power line in the area of 5 Newtown Turnpike today. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
At 11 p.m., CL&P said all Westport customers had their power back after earlier reporting as many as 196 customers were affected.
Residents in the area of 5 Newtown Turnpike lost electric power in the late afternoon when a heavy rain downpour caused a tree branch to snap, pulling down a utility line.
John Albano, a resident around the corner on Columbine Lane, Norwalk said that the his power went off at 4:40 p.m.
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Getting Ready for ‘Love Night’
Associate Artistic Director for Westport Country Playhouse, David Kennedy, and Westport Arts Center Director of Visual Arts, Helen Klisser During, prepare for next week’s “Love Night.” The program is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. and will be a collaborative presentation from the two organizations, exploring the common language of visual art and theater. Actors, reading scenes from Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” will help to weave together conversations, and to make powerful connections between Shakespeare’s words and “Love: In The Eye of The Beholder,” WAC’s current exhibition. “Twelfth Night, Or What You Will” will open at the Playhouse on Oct. 11. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Alyssa Crouse for WestportNow.com
Special Weather Statement
A line of heavy showers and thunderstorms will impact Fairfield County in late afternoon, a National Weather Service advisory said.
At 4:05 p.m., National Weather Service Doppler radar was tracking heavy shower and thunderstorms in Westchester County moving east.
Winds up to 40 mph are expected with these storms. In addition, very heavy rain with rainfall rates of up to one inch an hour is occurring with these storms, the advisory said.
This could cause ponding of water on roadways and minor flooding of poor drainage areas.
Real Estate Report: Availability of Financing is Key
By Judy Szablak
For those of you that are in the process of selling your home, or thinking about selling, one very important factor to keep in mind is that the availability of financing has a great impact on your sale. Most buyers will need to obtain a mortgage, and they will need access to reasonable loan programs.
This Saugatuck Island contemporary home at 116 Harbor Road is listed at $1,395,000. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Photo courtesy of Prudential CT Realty
What initially appears like a very minor change in interest rates or loan limits might seem inconsequential to you, but it might make all the difference in the world as to whether a buyer can obtain a loan for your property.
Over the past few months, we have heard about a number of changes that were possible on the financial front. Probably the biggest change to affect mortgages was that Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae were to adjust loan limits downward as of Oct. 1 for government-backed mortgages.
While some industry experts had thought (and hoped) that this would not be the case, it is now going to be a reality.
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Armed Robber Gets $200 from Merritt Country Store
A man showing a handgun robbed Westport’s Merritt Country Store of about $200 early today, police and the victim said.
Clerk Shoaib Sidd said the robber made off with about $200, adding: “It was a horrible experience.” (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Clerk Shoaib Sidd said the man, described as under 40 years old, entered the store at 337 Main St. about 3:30 a.m. wearing a mask and large sunglasses, showed a black handgun and demanded money.
The Pakistan native said he handed over about $200. “We don’t have much money here at night,” he said, adding: “It was a horrible experience, but I am fine now.”
Police said the man fled northbound on Main Street and that a K-9 dog from the Monroe Police Department was unable to pick up a trail.
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Running in the Rain
The rain on Wednesday did not deter the Staples cross-country runners on North Avenue. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Thursday, September 29, 2011
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “Love: In the Eye of the Beholder” & “Malawi With Love”
10 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Imperial Avenue Commuter Lot - Westport Farmers Market
10 a.m. – Earthplace – Sasco Brook Pollution Abatement Committee
11 a.m. – Town Hall Room 309 – Pension Investment Committee
5 p.m. - 7 p.m. - Westport Senior Center - CT Money School: “The Basics of Probate and the Ever-Changing Tax Landscape”
See more events: Celebrate Westport Calendar
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
All Gone: 128 Beachside Ave.
The house at 128 Beachside Ave., Westport’s “Gold Coast,” was demolished. The 1930s almost 10,000-square foot home included 10 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms and was built by H. Smith Richardson, a Richardson-Vicks pharmaceutical company scion. The $20 million sale in October of three adjoining parcels on almost seven acres overlooking Long Island Sound was Westport’s second largest residential real estate transaction. (See WestportNow Oct. 30, 2010). It was the WestportNow Teardown of the Day on Dec. 15, 2010. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Staples Boys Soccer Edges Ridgefield 1-0
Jake Malowitz (shown above) was a defensive key in the Staples boys soccer team’s 1-0 win over Ridgefield today at home. Ben Root’s goal in the fourth minute was the difference. Also starring for the Wreckers were Steve Smith, Alex Tonsberg, Taylor McNair and keeper James Hickok. Staples is now 5-0-0, and hosts Norwalk on Friday at 4 p.m. in an important FCIAC contest. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Carl McNair for WestportNow.com
WestportNow Teardown of the Day: 22 Cross Way
An application for a permit to demolish the house at Westport’s 22 Cross Way, on Saugatuck Shores, is in process. Built in 1976, the two-story contemporary has 4,245 square feet and is situated on a .60-acre property. The current resident plans to rebuild on the site. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Insurance Department Reduces Anthem’s Rate Hike
By Arielle Levin Becker
www.ctmirror.orgThe Connecticut Insurance Department has turned down a request by the state’s largest health insurer to raise premiums by 12.9 percent for more than 25,000 individual-market policies, instead granting the company a 3.9 percent increase.
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield had said that the higher increase was needed to account for rising claims costs, increased use of services by members, and state and federally mandated benefit changes.
But the insurance department found that a smaller increase was appropriate. Actuary Paul Lombardo wrote that the lower figure was based on reducing the operating margin for the plans and removing “underwriting wear-off” from Anthem’s calculations. Underwriting wear-off refers to the decline in members’ health status since they first bought the policies, making them poorer risks.
The 3.9 percent increase could take effect Jan. 1 for about 25,000 policies covering an estimated 48,000 state residents who buy private insurance on their own rather than through their employer.
Click here for more of story
More Flooding
It wasn’t a tropical storm or hurricane, just unusually high tides at mid-day today which flooded parts of Westport’s Harbor Road on Saugatuck Shores and other low-lying areas. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Minor Flooding at Mid-Day High Tide
There was some minor flooding at today’s mid-day high tide in Westport. The Saugatuck River lapped over the parking lot behind the Westport Arts Center on Riverside Avenue and Canal Road on Saugatuck Shores was shut down for a period by flood waters. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Helen Klisser During for WestportNow.com
Picnic in the Water
A picnic table behind the Westport Arts Center on Riverside Avenue had some flooding issues at mid-day today as unusually high tides caused some minor flooding along Westport’s Saugatuck River and coastline. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Helen Klisser During for WestportNow.com
New Haven Line Delays
UPDATE Metro-North said New Haven Line Service is on or close to schedule after earlier experiencing delays of up to 20 minutes in both directions due to switch problems in the vicinity of Mamaroneck, N.Y.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “Love: In the Eye of the Beholder” & “Malawi With Love”
10 a.m. – Town Hall Room 309 – Historic District Commission
12:30 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - Wednesday Artist Lunches
See more events: Celebrate Westport Calendar
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Westporter Helen Reichert Dies at 109
By James Lomuscio
Helen Faith Keane Reichert of Westport and New York City died at her midtown Manhattan home Sunday at the age of 109, “just a few weeks shy of her 110th birthday on Nov. 11,” her sister-in-law Elisabeth Keane of Westport said today.
Helen Reichert: pictured in Westport two months ago. Contributed photo
“Her nickname was Happy, and it was a nickname that suited her entire life,” Keane said.
Throughout her life, Reichert vigorously promoted a rigid recipe for success: chocolate truffles, hamburgers, Budweiser beer, cigarettes and New York nightlife. Strictly forbidden were vegetables, exercising, getting up early and complaining.
Reichert was one of four centenarian siblings, including Keane’s husband, Westporter Peter Keane, “the baby of the family who will be 102 in February.” Other siblings included Irving Kahn, the 105-year-old chairman of Kahn Bros., a New York City Investment firm.
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Rough and Tough Tie for Staples Girls
The Staples girls soccer varsity team headed to Fairfield Warde today and battled for a tie 1-1. Seen here are Gae Mitas and Julia Tziolis working hard during the nail biting match. The only goal was a beautiful header scored by Turner Block off of a well placed ball by Megan Root. This game brings the Lady Wreckers to a season record 3-1-1. Next home game is Saturday at 2:30 p.m. against Bridgeport’s St. Joseph. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Judi Lake for WestportNow.com
Doctor: Sleep Disorders Are Common
Sleep disorder medical specialist Stasia Wieber, M.D. of Fairfield told the Westport Rotary Club today that 40 percent of humans have some sort of sleep disorder. Wieber said that one of the most common questions she is asked about sleep is, “How much sleep do I need?” She said that she normally responds with, “Enough to feel good the next day day…if you are not feeling good after a night of sleep then you have a sleep disorder.” Insomnia, the most common sleep disorder, “must have daytime consequences—such as falling asleep during work,” she said. Wieber said that although sleep disorders are very common, they are treatable.” (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Himes to Canvass Flood-Damaged Businesses
Rep. Jim Himes (D-4) will visit flood-damaged businesses in Westport’s center on Friday, his office announced today.
Jim Himes greets flood-damaged Compo homeowner Michele Williams on Aug. 29. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) James Lomuscio for WestportNow.com
“Himes will visit businesses in Westport to check in on those who were hard-hit by Tropical Storm Irene and to help publicize the federal assistance that is available to help them recover from the storm,” an announcement said.
“Representatives from the Small Business Administration will join him to answer any questions and ensure business owners have all the necessary information to apply for federal disaster assistance to help repair and, in some cases, rebuild their businesses.”
Himes, who on Aug. 29 viewed damage at Westport’s Compo Beach and visited several homes in the area damaged by flood waters, will be accompanied on his tour of businesses by First Selectman Gordon Joseloff and Fire Chief Andrew Kingsbury, who is also the town’s emergency management director.
WestportNow Teardown of the Day: 5 Hedley Farms Road
An application for a permit to demolish the house at Westport’s 5 Hedley Farms Road, near Beachside Avenue, is in process. Built in 1961, the one-story contemporary has 4,118 square feet and is situated on a 7.27-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
School Year Extended Two Days
By James Lomuscio
Blame it on Irene. Westport’s Board of Education voted unanimously Monday night to push the close of the school year from June 20 to June 22.
The reason? The schools already lost two of its three emergency days off due to Hurricane Irene in late August, raising concerns as to what to do if there is another harsh winter,
“I don’t recall a time that we started school late because of bad weather,” said Donald O’Day, school board chairman. “But, we have to treat the calendar the same way, whether it’s the beginning, middle or end of the year.
“We still have to stick to our fundamental principle that we don’t want to reduce instructional or professional development days,” he added.
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Household Hazardous Waste Day Set for Saturday
Westport Public Works Director Stephen Edwards announced today that the town will host its annual household hazardous waste collection day on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Westport/Weston Health District, 180 Bayberry Lane.
Residents unload their household hazardous waste at an earlier event. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
“This is an opportunity for residents to clean out their basements and garages of general hazardous materials,” said Edwards.
Following are areas of a household and the types of chemicals that may be found there: Garage: degreasers, gasoline, kerosene, mineral spirits, oil-based paints, paint strippers, paint thinners, solvents, stains, turpentine, varnishes, wood preservatives, etc.
Garden Shed: fertilizers, fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, etc. General Household: bleach, charcoal lighter, cleaning chemicals, drain cleaners, fish chemicals, flammable liquids, mercury thermometers, moth balls, pet flea shampoos, photo chemicals, rug shampoos, spot removers, etc.
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PROPERTY TRANSFERS
Westport Property Transfers Sept. 12 - 16, 2011MORE >>
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