Westport artist Howard Munce, who turns 100 on Nov. 27, today visited the Westport Historical Society (WHS) with family and a small group of WHS committee members to view the new exhibit, “Howard Munce at 100: A Centennial Celebration” in the Betty and Ralph Sheffer Gallery. Dedicated to Munce’s late wife Geraldine, the exhibit continued through Sept. 14. There will be an opening reception on Sunday, July 12 from 4 to 6 p.m.. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Larry Untermeyer for WestportNow.com
Memories
Studying His Works
Paul Newman to Appear on U.S. ‘Forever’ Stamp
Smaller Crowd Tonight at Levitt
The crowd was smaller tonight on the second night of the season of the Westport Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts than the Sunday opening. Headlining tonight was the Ken Morr Band starring singer-songwriter Ken Morr, one of the 50 nights of free entertainment at the Westport arts landmark. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Zach During for WestportNow.com photo
A Gordon Lightfoot Inspiration
Ken Morr (2nd r) and his band performed at the Westport Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts. The Levitt schedule said this about his music: “Ken’s song have an elemental quality—water, earth, relationships, seasons, time, change, loss—like the great songwriters who inspired him early on: Dylaan, Simom, Van Morrison, Graham Nash, and especially Gordon Lightfoot.” (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo
Fireworks Tickets Going Fast
At $35 per vehicle, tickets for Westport’s Independence Day fireworks Friday night are selling fast, with only 450 of the 2,000 printed left, event planners say.

Compo Beach visitors watch an Independence Day fireworks display. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Larry Untermeyer for WestportNow.com
And if any remain by Friday, latecomers will have to buy them at Police Headquarters since the Parks and Recreation Department will be closed for the long holiday weekend beginning Friday.
Before Friday, tickets for the Compo Beach show orchestrated by Fireworks by Grucci can be purchased via cash or check either at Police Headquarters, 50 Jesup Road, or at the Parks and Recreation offices in Longshore Club Park.
Once the tickets run out, a limited number of shuttle bus tickets will go on sale for the same price, said Dan DeVito, Parks and Recreation operations supervisor.
WestportNow Teardown of the Day: 22 Warnock Drive
An application for a permit to demolish the house at Westport’s 22 Warnock Drive, off Easton Road, is in process. Built in 1956, the two-story split has 2,113-square feet, is situated on a 1.01-acre property and changed ownership in May for $750,000. 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
Malloy Signs, Then Promotes, Newly Tweaked Budget
By Mark Pazniokas and Keith M. Phaneuf
The rocky path to a fiscal plan for the next two years ended Tuesday with Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signing the budget adopted June 3 in the closing minutes of the 2015 session — and tax rollbacks passed earlier Tuesday in special session to quell an outcry from business interests.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signs the budget bills in Hartford today. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Ctmirror.org photo
“Massachusetts doesn’t have a budget. Maine doesn’t have a budget. Illinois doesn’t have a budget. New Hampshire doesn’t have a budget,” Malloy said after signing the documents at a ceremony attended by the legislature’s top leaders and Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman. “We got a budget.”
The budget includes tax increases that violate a pledge the Democratic governor made during last fall’s close re-election campaign, and its passage exposes Democratic legislators in swing districts to attacks as they seek re-election in 2016, a campaign that the GOP already is waging.
Malloy did not directly answer a question about how he can reconcile the budget he signed with his campaign pledge. Instead, he said the GOP offered no practical alternative.
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Himes Opposes U.S. ‘Locking Down’ Mideast Chaos
U.S. Rep. Jim Himes said today he does not back an increased U.S. military presence in Iraq and “will not support the role of the United States locking down chaos in the Middle East.”

U.S. Rep. Jim Himes addresses today’s Westport Rotary Club meeting. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Addressing the weekly meeting of the Westport Rotary Club, Himes said the United States must be very skeptical about creep in U.S. military commitment in the region.
He said the 1,200-year-old history of Middle East conflicts make defining long-term U.S. strategy in the area difficult.
While the United States has achieved victories in removing Saddam Hussein and Moammar Gadhafi from power and killing Taliban leaders, he added: “We’re not very good at the next day.”