Month: September 2013

Saturday, March 25, 2023

WestportNow Teardown of the Day: 18 Compo Parkway

An application for a permit to demolish the house at Westport’s 18 Compo Parkway, off Compo Road South, is in process. Built in 1950, the one-story ranch has 2,662 square feet, is situated on a .34-acre property and changed ownership this month for $1,599,000. Because the house was built more than 50 years ago, the application will be reviewed by the Westport Historic District Commission. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

MTA to Consider NH Line Refunds

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority board will hold a special meeting Tuesday to consider approving a credit for customers of Metro-North’’s New Haven Line where service has been disrupted by an electrical outage, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said today. He said approval is expected.

“Approving a refund to commuters isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s what they need to do,” he said in a statement. “It’s incumbent on the MTA and ConEd to deal with this problem and get it fixed, and it’s critical that Connecticut residents get reimbursed as quickly as possible.”

Malloy said that Metro-North and the MTA have moved up the schedule for re-establishing a permanent fix for the outage from Oct. 14 to Oct. 7.

“It is unclear whether that connection will be made early enough on the 7th of October to allow for restoration of service on the 7th or on the eighth,” Malloy said. “That is an open question.”

Prolonged Shutdown Could Damage CT Economy

By Keith M. Phaneuf and Mark Pazniokas

www.ctmirror.org

As the federal government stood at the brink of a shutdown today, state and business leaders were most wary of a prolonged stoppage.

Though many of the 9,000 federal employees residing in Connecticut could be furloughed shortly after the new fiscal year begins Tuesday, a potential lag in billions in federal dollars earmarked for the Nutmeg State poses the biggest threat to state government.

And should a shutdown linger for several weeks, or more than a month, both furloughs and a bottleneck in federal aid could undo much of Connecticut’s already sluggish recovery from the last recession.

“The spectre of uncertainty would be key” if a shutdown of a month or more were to develop, said Don Klepper-Smith, a senior economist with DataCore Partners in New Haven. “It would mean less hiring, less job creation, less economic growth. Then this recovery is very much in jeopardy.”

Click here for more of story

Judge Orders Save Westport Now Back on Ballot

By James Lomuscio

Booted from the Nov. 5 ballot last week over a technicality, Save Westport Now (SWN) will now have ballot access on Election Day, a Stamford Superior Court judge ruled today.

Superior Court Judge Kenneth B. Povodator: issues ballot placement order. Contributed photo

Judge Kenneth B. Povodator ordered Westport Town Clerk Patricia Strauss to give SWN endorsed and nominated candidates for the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z)—Democrats Andra Vebell, David Lessing and Alan Hodge—a SWN place on the ballot in addition to their names on Democratic line. The move drew praise from Connecticut Secretary of the State Denise Merrill.

“Judge Povodator’s decision is good for the voters of Westport,” Merrill said in a statement. “It is always in the best interest of voters to have choices on the ballot, and I am relieved the judge resolved this issue.”

Founded in the 1980s to save Gorham Island from development, a bid that failed, SWN is a third party, environmental and preservation advocacy group. It has typically endorsed and nominated Democratic candidates for the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z), although last election it endorsed Republicans.

Library Wins $246,545 MakerSpace Grant

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) in Washington, D.C. has awarded The Westport Library a $246,545 grant to enhance the year-old MakerSpace, declared a highly innovative project with broad potential impact for other libraries, library officials announced today.

Library Trustee Mike Guthman helped celebrate MakerSpace’s first birthday in July. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

The Westport Library was selected from a competitive field of applicants to receive funding foor MakerSpace 2.0: Retinkering Libraries. According to library officials, the project proposes to transform the current MakerSpace, introducing more hands-on maker experiences, workshops and makers-in-residence who will support an innovation lab.

Projects include robotics, LED creations and tinkering with home electronics repairs. Also included are interactive Innovation Stations (iStations) to introduce participants to the concepts and techniques of innovative thinking.

The IMLS used a peer review process to evaluate the grant applications. According to library officials, reviewers commented the MakerSpace was cutting edge, giving the library “the potential to make a big impact.”

Longshore Golf Course Closing for Aeration

Westport Parks and Recreation Director Stuart McCarthy announced today that Longshore Golf Course will be closed Monday, Oct. 7 to Thursday, Oct. 10 for a full course aeration of greens, tees and fairways.

H. Smith Richardson golf course in Fairfield will honor Westport golf passes for the Westport resident greens fees. he said.

“A full closure of the course will allow the greens crew the opportunity for an aggressive full course aeration as we continue our efforts to restore course conditions after a difficult summer season,” said McCarthy.

“We are grateful to Gerry Lombardo, Fairfield Parks and Recreation Director, and our neighbors at H. Smith Richardson for extending an invitation to our golfers. We believe the access to H. Smith Richardson will be well received by our customers in lieu of playing temporary greens during the aeration process.”

Finance Board: No Change in Selectmen Salary

Meeting in special session, the Westport Board of Finance today recommended no change in the $2,000 annual salaries of the two selectmen who sit with the first selectman on the Board of Selectmen. The board at its Sept. 23 meeting had recommended no change in the first selectman’s salary of $101,475 but did not address the other two selectmen. The board today also recommended the first selectman receive the same benefits as other non-union supervisory personnel plus either a $4,800 annual transportation allowance or use of a town car, and that members of the Board of Assessment Appeals continue to receive a $200 a year annual stipend. First selectman Democratic candidate Helen Garten and Avi Kaner, Republican selectman candidate, recused themselves on the selectmen discussion and votes. CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Lending a Hand to the Pros

The Westport PAL cheer leading program preformed with the cheerleaders of the New York Jets Saturday at Citi Field prior to the Mets game. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

Fall Colors

Fall colors in Westport’s Old Mill area. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Andrew Colabella for WestportNow.com

Monday, September 30, 2013

9 a.m. – Town Hall Room 309 – Board of Finance Special Public Hearing (live coverage cable channel 79, AT&T channel 99, and westportct.gov)
10 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Westport Historical Society – “Framing the Past, Present, and Future” and “Walt Reed’s Illustrator in America”
10 a.m. – 5 p.m. – Westport Arts Center – 2013 Group Members Exhibition: “Home Sweet Home”
11 a.m. – Various – Restaurant Weeks sponsored by Westport-Weston Chamber of Commerce (see locales here)
7 p.m. – Westport Library – Ardiono Board Usergroups/Workshops
7:30 p.m. – Town Hall Room 309 – RTM Employee Compensation Committee
8 p.m. – Town Hall Room 102 – Board of Assessment Appeals