The girls lacrosse team at Westport’s Staples High Shool today launched its 2007 season with an invitational “Play Day” scrimmage hosted on the turf field at Staples. The Staples varsity squad won all three of its scrimmages played against Notre Dame, Greens Farms Academy and Bethel High School. Pictured is Staples junior Colby Mello as she evades her opponents from Bethel before scoring in today’s scrimmage. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Emily Hamilton Laux for WestportNow.com
Registration Opens for Parks and Rec Programs
Hundreds of people lined up at Bedford Middle School this morning as the Westport Parks and Recreation Department opened registration for this year’s spring and summer programs. Registration continues during regular business hours at the parks and recreation office at Longshore Club Park. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Stephen Rubin for WestportNow.com
Toaster Fire Quickly Extinguished at Health Care Center
A Westport firefighter tends to a fire sprinkler set off by a toaster oven fire today in the kitchen of the Westport Health Care Center. There were no injuries reported, and the building was not evacuated. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo
(UPDATE)A fire touched off by a toaster oven in the kitchen of the Westport Health Care Center early today was quickly extinguished by the building’s fire suppression system, fire officials said.
The incident just before 6 a.m. at the elderly health care facility at 1 Burr Road on the corner of Post Road West also set off the fire alarm, but the building was not evacuated.
Assistant Fire Chief Larry Conklin said the 85 patients in the complex were “protected in place” while firefighters ventilated smoke from the kitchen area.
Firefighters checked all floors of the building, and there were no injuries to any of the staff or patients, he said. Fire officials said later that two plastic dishwasher trays left on top of the commercial toaster oven ignited, starting the fire.
Last Dog Day of Winter
Today is the last day dogs are allowed at Westport’s Compo Beach for the season. Animals are banned on all town beaches April 1 until Oct. 1. Many pet owners and others were out taking advantage of today’s sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-50s. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Larry Untermeyer for WestportNow.com
Provence Documentary Featured at Library
Sumner Glimcher: talks on French trip. Contributed photoFilmmaker Sumner Jules Glimcher will screen his documentary “A Taste of Provence: Art, Culture & History” on Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Westport Public Library’s McManus Room.
Professor emeritus of New York University and a Westport resident for 30 years, Glimcher rented a villa outside Aix-en-Provence in July 2005 and drove almost 2,200 miles to visit and film towns, villages and historical sites in Provence.
The film features footage of musical events, including Aix’s annual July music celebration, which was devoted that year to Mozart, and sequences on two of the province’s most famous artists, Paul Cezanne and Vincent Van Gogh.
For more information, call (203) 291-4840 or visit www.westportlibrary.org.
Sharing the River
Saturday, March 31, 2007
2 p.m. – Westport Historical Society – This Old House: Historical Plaques
6:30 p.m. – Unitarian Church, 10 Lyons Plains Road – A Better Chance of Westport fund-raiser
7 p.m. – Coleytown Middle School – “High School Musical” (sold out)
8 p.m. – Town Hall – Westport Community Theatre: “Born Yesterday”
PAL Hosts Fund-Raiser
PAL Basketball Fund-Raiser Draws Crowd
Hundreds Turn Out for Project Return’s Birdhouse Auction
Hundreds of visitors turned out tonight for Project Return’s 12th annual birdhouse action held at Lillian August in Norwalk. Project Return is a Westport-based therapeutic, residential home for teenage girls aged 14 to 18 in crisis. Since it opened its doors 20 years ago, more than 115 girls have stayed at Project Return, ranging from three months to several years. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Juliet Balian for WestportNow.com