Children and adults enjoy making their own candles at Westport’s Earthplace today, one of several activities available during the vacation week. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Julia Mally for WestportNow.com

The National Weather Service in Upton, N.Y. has issued a Flood Watch for Westport and area from Friday morning through Saturday morning.

An advisory said a total rainfall amount of 1 to 1.5 inches with locally higher amounts up to 2.0 inches is expected to occur during Friday morning into Friday afternoon.

In addition, the potential for brief heavy rainfall from embedded thunderstorms could further exacerbate rapid water rises across the watch area.

The combination of current snow pack, frozen ground and high rainfall rates could result in significant ponding on urban areas roadways and underpasses as well as small stream flooding, the Weather Service said.

Firefighters from Westport, Fairfield and numerous nearby communities turned out to pay tribute today to Harry W. Ackley, a former president of the Southport Volunteer Fire Department and father of Westport Fire Chief Christopher Ackley, who died Friday at the age of 95. Services were held at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Fairfield. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

A Westport travel agent is facing a one-way trip to prison after pleading no contest Wednesday to stealing nearly $40,000 from a group of 54 Stratford seniors who had booked a trip through him to Branson, Mo., the Connecticut Post reported.

It said Peter Heyel, 67, dressed in a blue blazer over an open-collared white shirt, calmly told Superior Court Judge George Thim he was no longer contesting the charge of second-degree larceny pending against him. The judge then found him guilty of the charge. He was arrested in November. (See WestportNow Nov. 12, 2010)

Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Robert Brennan told the judge he will be recommending that Heyel serve a four-year prison term when he is sentenced June 1, the newspaper said.

However, the prosecutor continued that if Heyel should come up with at least half the restitution money he would consider recommending the defendant instead serve two years in prison.

By Keith M. Phaneuf

www.ctmirror.org

A week after winning accolades from municipal officials for proposing a budget that largely maintains state aid to cities and towns, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is under fire for seeking authority to reduce that assistance unilaterally if the state’s financial problems worsen.

Allowing the governor to reduce aid mid-year “is non-negotiable for us,” James Finley, executive director of the Connecticut Conference of Cities and Towns, said Wednesday, responding to new budget legislation drafted by Malloy’s office. “We’re going to fight this.”

Malloy, who was CCM president while mayor of Stamford, inherited a built-in shortfall ranging from $3.2 billion to $3.67 billion for the fiscal year that begins July 1. To help close a gap equal to nearly one-fifth of current spending, the governor proposed several unpopular steps, including:

—More than $1.5 billion in new annual state taxes including increases in levies on income, sales, gasoline, cigarettes, liquor. insurance companies and electricity generation.

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The National Weather Service in Upton, N.Y. has issued a high wind watch for Westport and area from Friday morning through Friday evening.

It said southwest winds 15 to 30 miles per hour with gusts up to 55 mph and possibly up to 60 mph will develop Friday morning ahead of a storm system tracking to the northwest of the tri-state area on Friday.

Winds will shift to the west to northwest behind its trailing cold front late Friday with gusts up to 55 mph and possibly up to 60 mph into the early evening hours, the Weather Service said.

It said the strongest wind gusts are most likely just ahead of the front Friday afternoon and in its immediate wake late Friday afternoon and early Friday evening. These strong gusty winds likely will bring down trees and power lines, the Weather Service said.