It was a chilly New Year’s Eve walk on Compo Beach today with temperatures in the 40s and a stiff wind. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

Westport flew the flags of United Nations members today on the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge as First Night festivities got underway. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

Red balloons marked the 14 venues where today’s First Night Westport Weston 2008 events were being held, including the Westport Center for Senior Activities on Imperial Avenue. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Larry Untermeyer for WestportNow.com

UPDATE A suspected shoplifter being pursued by Westport police crashed his car head-on into a parked pickup truck today on Coleytown Road near Easton Road after a high speed chase on the Merritt Parkway.
A shoplifting suspect’s vehicle crashed into a parked and unoccupied pickup truck today on Coleytown Road near Easton Road. Two water company workers   moments earlier had been working on the box between the vehicles. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

The man, later identified as a Chilean national, Manuel Galacia, 65, was injured in the crash and taken to Norwalk Hospital by Westport EMS. He was later released and held at Westport police headquarters on $25,000 bond pending a court appearance Wednesday.

During the chase, the suspect tossed items out of his window apparently taken from Parfumerie Douglas Cosmetics at 57 Main St., according to detectives who recovered the merchandise.

Two water company workers had just left an equipment box next to where the crash occurred and were uninjured.

These runners were out early today on Westport’s Clapboard Hill Road for a New Year’s Eve run. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Three runners got in their exercise on the last day of 2007 on Westport’s Clapboard Hill Road. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Metro-North’s New Haven Line is operating extra service today for New Year’s Eve.

The line is operating a regular Saturday schedule today with additional service during the morning and evening peaks.

In addition, it will have extra afternoon and evening inbound service, and overnight service into the “wee hours” of Tuesday, New Year’s Day. Last trains will leave Grand Central Terminal between 5 a.m. and 5:33 a.m.

Off-peak fares will be in effect today and Tuesday. December commutation tickets will be valid on New Year’s morning between midnight and 6:30 a.m., as well as for one additional courtesy ride until 10 a.m. on Wednesday, the railroad said.

A thin layer of ice covered Round Pond off of Compo Road South on Sunday. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com