Westporter Devin Skolnick (2nd row, 4th l) poses with 10 of her best friends Friday night at a Teen Vogue shopping spree she won and shared with them at the Lucky Brand jeans store in Westport. Pictured (l-r) are Jessie Currier, Joosje Grevers, Rachel Weinstein, Skolnick, Ashley Soule, Kelsey Landuer, Katie Cioe, Kelly Ebel, Summer Anderson, Olivia Vaughn-Flam, and Sami Jurofsky. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

Inclement weather did not dim the enthusiasm of more than 100 avid puzzle solvers who gathered today at the Westport Public Library to compete in the 12th Annual Crossword Puzzle Contest. After successfully completing three puzzles in 20 minutes, three contestants emerged as finalists for finishing accurately in the shortest time. The three winners then came to the stage to face another challenging puzzle which they had to solve while everyone watched.  Will Shortz, New York Times puzzle editor, supervised the contest and congratulated first place winner Jan O’Sullivan of Killingworth, Conn., who came in second last year. The runner up, Glen Ryan, of Norwich, Conn., was a first-time competitor. In third place was Jesse Lansner, a professional web developer. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Larry Untermeyer for WestportNow.com

UPDATE Westport’s Bedford Middle School cafeteria today was crowded with chowder lovers for the third annual Chowdafest organized by volunteers from Westport’s Unitarian Church to benefit the Connecticut Food Bank. The “SOUPer Bowl Saturday” event featured two dozen soups from 17 restaurants. Westport’s Mansion Clam House won in the classics category, Fairfield’s Southport Brewing Co. won in the creative category for its corn and poblano chowder, and Norwalk’s Nicholas Roberts Gourmet Bistro won for its lobster bisque in the soups and bisques category. Pictured serving up seafood chowder are Chef Raul Restrepo and his wife Adriana from Westport’s River House restaurant. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo

Scenes from today’s third annual Chowdafest at Westport’s Bedford Middle School. WestportNow.com photos

Crowds line up today at Chowdafest for offerings from Norwalk’s Nicholas Roberts Gourmet Bistro. Its lobster bisque with “farmers market corn & chive” was named winner in the soups and bisques category. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy today reminded Connecticut residents of the critical need to clear snow from their roofs before more bad weather hits the state. 

Mixed precipitation is expected to fall across Connecticut tonight adding to the weight on already overburdened structures. he said.

“Connecticut is experiencing a winter for the record books,” Malloy said in a statement. Each day we are hearing about building collapses and precautionary evacuations for homes, schools, and businesses.

“It is absolutely imperative that people get out there and get the snow off of their homes and businesses. Homeowners and municipalities have to be aggressive about protecting their structures.

Westport First Selectman Gordon Joseloff said today Westport does not need to take advantage of eased snow-dumping rules issued Friday by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
The Town of Westport is using Compo Beach as one of its snow dumping areas. A contractor working for the town dumps a load earlier this week.  (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

“While the DEP is giving municipalities the option of dumping snow into Long Island Sound and in rivers, it’s not something Westport needs to do at the moment,” he said.

The DEP said it modified its policies because of the extraordinary snowfall this winter. Disposal in salt water will be allowed only after other options are exhausted, the agency said.

Joseloff said he had conferred with Public Works Director Steve Edwards after DEP Commissioner Amy Marella said that her agency is relaxing its snow-dumping rules.

The Westport Police Department urged residents to use extreme caution traveling Westport roadways, especially north of the Merritt Parkway.

An advisory said roads are becoming extremely treacherous with multiple accidents being reported.

Avoid travel until roads can be treated by state and town maintenance crews, the advisory said.