News
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Poll Shows Malloy Trailing Foley by 3 Points
By Mark Pazniokas
www.ctmirror.orgQuinnipiac University’s first poll of the 2014 gubernatorial race shows Gov. Dannel P. Malloy slightly trailing Republican Tom Foley, the man he beat three years ago in Connecticut’s closest gubernatorial contest in a half-century.
Malloy, a Democrat still dogged by the weak economy that greeted his inauguration in January 2011, trails 43 percent to 40 percent in a matchup with Foley, according to a poll released today. Malloy leads other potential GOP challengers by seven percentage points.
The survey finds the electorate evenly divided on a governor who has raised taxes, battled with employees over concessions and teachers over education reforms, while betting heavily on bioscience as Connecticut’s economic future.
His approval rating is 47 percent. Voters who say he deserves re-election are slightly outnumbered by those who say he doesn’t, 44 percent to 46 percent.
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New Haven Delays
UPDATE Metro-North said New Haven Line service is is now operating on or close to schedule after earlier delays caused by police activity near South Norwalk.
Adding Some Green
Crews worked Tuesday to add some green to the second phase of the Saugatuck Center retail and residential complex under construction in Westport’s Saugatuck section. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Bob Eckman for WestportNow.com
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Bridge Street Bridge closed for repairs
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “Bird’s-Eye View”
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Westport Historical Society - “5 Generations of Yankee Ingenuity: The Gault Family” & “Tracy Sugarman, Citizen-Artist”
2 p.m. and 8 p.m. - Westport Country Playhouse - “The Show-Off”
4 p.m. - Westport Public Library - ChessClub (grades K-12)
7 p.m. – Town Hall Room 201/201A – Conservation Commission (live coverage cable channel 79, AT&T channel 99, and westportct.gov)
7:30 p.m. – Westport Public Library – Library Board of Trustees
See more events: Celebrate Westport Calendar
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Dems Hear from Probate Judge Hopefuls
By James Lomuscio
Four probate judge hopefuls made their case before Westport’s Democratic Town Committee (DTC) tonight to get the party’s nomination to run in November.
The Democratic Town Committee tonight elected Joe Scordato (l) vice chair to serve with Jim Ezzes (r), chair. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Kevin O’Grady, a Democrat elected to the Westport-Weston Probate Court judgeship in 1999, resigned in April because of health problems.
DTC Chairman Jim Ezzes said that one of the four will be nominated to run to replace O’Grady at the committee’s July 18 convention.
Each of the four who presented to the DTC touted his background in probate law and estate planning. The candidates were: James M.Powers of Weston; David B. Krauss, an attorney who curently serves as chair of the Board of Assesment Appeals; Kieran Costello, a Westporter and Fairfield attorney; and Westport resident Neil Phillips.
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Sharing Secrets of Laughter
Filmmaker and former Yale Film Studies professor Michael Roemer (r) tonight talked about what makes people laugh at the Westport Country Playhouse literary salon series “Books Worth Talking About.” Interviewed by Leo D. Meyer of WPKN, Roemer discussed his recent book “Shocked But Connected: Notes on Laughter” before tonight’s presentation of “The Show-Off,” the classic comedy by Pulitzer-winner George Kelly. “Every time you laugh on some level, you survive a bit longer,” said Roemer, 85. He shared his musings on what causes audiences to chortle, snort, and guffaw when they watch antics onscreen or onstage. Born in Germany in 1928 and whose family escaped from the country under Nazi control, Romer said, “There’s a need for humor when surviving.” (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Adapting to Change by Razing and Raising
By Neena Satija and Michael Gambina
www.ctmirror.orgAs Connecticut’s shoreline braces for a hurricane season forecast to be one of the worst in years, it is still digging out from the damage of previous storms.
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This home on Spriteview Ave. in Westport’s Saugatuck Shores area is one of dozens that have been raised in Westport since Storm Sandy. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Along entire stretches of coastline in Fairfield and Milford, rows of homes are boarded up, some marked for demolition with thick red paint. Many have already been reduced to rubble.
These coastal neighborhoods are also busy with construction activity. Workers are raising and expanding existing homes, or building large, taller homes in the place of old ones.
The interweaving of tearing down homes and rebuilding, or simply building anew, tells the story of neighborhoods in transition.
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Westport News Goes to Weekly Print Edition
By James Lomuscio
The Westport News, the town’s newspaper of record published every Wednesday and Friday for almost half a century, will end its twice-weekly print run in July, with the Wednesday edition moving online, Barbara T. Roessner, executive editor of the Hearst Connecticut Media Group, informed readers today.
The same schedule has also been set for the company’s twice weekly Fairfield Citizen paper.
“We’ve decided to alter our traditional twice-a-week print schedule to reflect the 24/7 news cycle our local communities have come to expect,” Roessner said on the newspaper’s website.
“During the first five months of this year, your visits to our websites have soared—up 387 percent in Westport and 284 percent in Fairfield over the same period a year ago,” she continued. “You’re coming to our sites more often and staying longer. Our goal is to serve up the news and information you want whenever and wherever you choose.”
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New Info Board Aids Winslow Dog Walkers
There is a new information board (l) to aid dog walkers at Westport’s Winslow Park. The Westport Animal Shelter Advocates (WASA) Information Center board was erected through the combined efforts of WASA and Bill Dellipoali, district manager of Choice Pet Supply, 374 Post Road East, WASA member Gloria Ginter, WASA Junior Ambassador Brandon Malin and Stuart McCarthy and Tim Burke of the Department of Parks and Recreation. It is located to the right of the entrance to the off-leash area of the park. It currently features information about WASA’s June 22 fundraiser on Main Street and WASA fosters and dogs at Westport Animal Control looking for homes. Additionally, the Information Center will feature information about lost pets in the area and pet-owner-related community events. For more information, contact Julie Loparo, at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call (203)557-0361. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
High Winds Targeted Small Area at Compo
By James Lomuscio
The storm was as local as local storms get.
Westporter Karen Sherman and her son, Justin Schwebel, pick up their kayak and put it back in place on the rack at Compo Beach today. It was one of numerous kayaks knocked off the racks by the storm. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com
Monday’s 2:30 p.m. downpour and lightning left Westport’s Ned Dimes Marina at Compo Beach unscathed, but dealt a sucker punch to the dry dock boats and water crafts a stone’s throw away between the marina and South Beach.
There, concentrated winds knocked over more than a dozen kayaks, canoes and sailboats, snapping the masts of two Hobie Cats and blowing boats out into the roadway, said Rick Giunta, administrative manager for the Parks and Recreation Department.
The boats were all in the street,” he added about the road that circles the boat stands.
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Working on National Hall
The National Hall building, built in 1873 and once part of the thriving 19th century Westport waterfront, was getting some touch up work today. In 1993, the building was transformed into a 15-room luxury hotel by developer Arthur Tauck. The hotel closed in 2010 and last year the Planning and Zoning Commission approved plans to turn it into an office, retail and restaurant complex. Plans are in the works to once again have a restaurant on the first floor, according to P&Z Director Laurence Bradley. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Bob Eckman for WestportNow.com
CL&P: Prepare Now for Hurricanes
Even though hurricanes typically do not bear down on the state until early fall, Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) officials announced today that they have begun gearing up for the storm season.
“Emergency preparedness is a focus for CL&P year-round as New England can experience a wide range of severe weather conditions, including devastating hurricanes,” said Bill Quinlan, CL&P’s senior vice president of emergency preparedness.
“We learned a lot from Superstorm Sandy that will help us prepare for future hurricanes,” he added, “but no utility can stop the wrath of Mother Nature, so we also encourage our customers to prepare in advance for the hurricane season.”
Westport Fire Chief Andrew Kingsbury, Westport’s emergency management director, noted that while most associate September and early fall with bad storm, “the hurricane season does start June 1.
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Levitt Temporary Stage Getting Ready
Finishing touches are being put on the Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts temporary stage at Westport’s Jesup Green. The summer season kicks off with the Levitt gala benefit Saturday night at Staples High School headlining Foreigner. The free summer season on the temporary stage opens Tuesday, June, 25, with Mystic Bowie. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Blumenthal Headlines DTC Fundraiser
Westport’s Democratic Town Committee’s (DTC) will host a Saturday morning fundraiser June 29 at Tavern on Main featuring U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, state Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman and state Attorney General George Jepsen, DTC Chairman Jim Ezzes announced today.
“We couldn’t be more pleased that Dick Blumenthal, Nancy Wyman and George Jepsen will be joining us for our annual event,” said Ezzes. “They always share valuable insight as to what is happening in Washington and Hartford.”
The breakfast fundraiser, which runs from 9 to 11 a.m., is being sponsored by Ann Sheffer, Bill Scheffler, Linda and Michael Gordon, Betsy and Kieran Costello and Joe Scordato. The cost is $50 per person, and seating is limited.
For further information or to made reservations, visit westportdemocrats.org or call Ezzes at 203-227-4861.
Start of a New Day
The start of a new day Monday as seen looking east from the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge in Westport’s center. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Meghan Lally for WestportNow.com
Note: WestportNow Publisher Gordon F. Joseloff is also First Selectman of Westport