Month: February 2016 - Page 11

Monday, December 11, 2023

Joseph R. Sexton, 90

Joseph R Sexton (Joe) of Stamford, a former Westport resident, died Feb. 17. He was 90.

Joseph Sexton: former Westporter. Contributed photo

He was born on March 1, 1925 in Litchfield, Minn., a small hometown of 3,000 that was a great place to grow up. He was baptized and made his first communion at St. Phillip Catholic Church in Litchfield.

While there his family had a lot of room, so they always had a pony, pigeons, baby chicks, and rabbits. His dogs were Duke and Mike, both Chesapeake Retrievers. There were also other dogs of questionable ancestry.

His family moved to Minneapolis when he was 10. He attended Margaret Fuller grade school where he taught the “city boys” how to tackle. In seventh and eighth grades he attended Annunciation School. He went to St. Thomas Academy, a military high school, in St Paul, and graduated from there in 1943.

Nancy L. Quinn, 86

Nancy Golden Quinn, a former resident of Fairfield and of Westport, died Feb. 13 at the Village at Waveny in New Canaan. She was 86.

She was the widow of David Thomas Quinn, Sr.

Born in Pottsville, Pa., she received a diploma in fashion design at Moore College of Art in Philadelphia. She then enjoyed a brief career at Strawbridge & Clothier’s department store before retiring to raise her family.

A devout Catholic, she had been an active parishioner at St. Ann’s Church in Black Rock, Assumption Church in Westport, and St. Aloysius in New Canaan.

Family Affair at Arts Center

Westport artist Enid Munroe today shared her insights on her life as an artist, her process and technique, and her works of art with guests at the ArtSpeaks event at the Westport Arts Center. Daughter Alexandra Munroe, curator and scholar, led the question and answer session with her mother. Daughter Olivia Munroe, an established local artist and teacher in Fairfield County, also joined the special event. The exhibition, “Artist & Alchemist, “ is on view through Feb. 27. Pictured (l-r) Olivia Munroe, Enid Munroe, Alexandra Munroe, with longtime family friends Maggie Moffitt and her mother, Butzi Moffitt. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Leslie LaSala for WestportNow.com

Westport Property Transfers Feb. 1 – 5, 2016

Westport property transfers as reported by the Town Clerk’s office for the period Feb. 1 - 5, 2016:

Kowalsky Properties Inc. to 1141 Post Road East LLC, 1141 Post Road East, $4,000,000

2 Hidden Hill Road LLC to Olive Eaitb LLC, 2 Hidden Hill Road, $5,295,000

Pamela Kling Takiff to Evelyn Isaia Trust, 8 River Lane, $1,575,000

Frederick Golden Estate to Harris Weinstein and Tracy Pitkof, 14 Punch Bowl Drive, $999,000

Healthy Alternative to Crumb Rubber Artificial Turf

To the Editor:

As one of the last schools in Fairfield County to make the move to artificial turf, Greens Farms Academy (GFA) felt some pressure to “keep up with the Joneses” and install a turf field, mostly to ensure our athletes would have comparable playing conditions and a safe, consistent surface.

Several of our parents, however, voiced concerns about the potential health risks of the typical crumb rubber used in artificial turf. Listening to our parents, and not feeling completely confident about the current “industry standard” of crumb rubber, we began to research other options for artificial turf. Our trustees, always keeping both the health of our students and our surrounding ecosystem a top priority, looked into other options

In the end, GFA elected to use a greener alternative known as thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), a relatively new product in the United States. There was an initial hiccup, however. The TPE began to clump, so we needed to look for alternatives. In conversations with the manufacturer, FieldTurf, we decided that a cork composite would be the best option for replacement. However, although covered under warranty, the cork composite has to be manufactured overseas and took several weeks to arrive. We had a few weeks that fall of rescheduling games, and playing mostly away matches. But it was worth the wait and inconvenience. Once installed, the cork infill was tested for safety, and the results showed our field exceeded requirements within all parameters.

Our turf field has been up and running for four years now, and is used on a daily basis with positive feedback. It was and still is the most environmentally responsible and healthy option available, in addition to being cutting-edge in its design and in the use of cork as an infill.

Heroin Scourge Affects Westport, Too

By James Lomuscio

Westport has not escaped the surge in heroin and other opiate overdoses in Connecticut.

Heroin overdose deaths have soared in Connecticut and nationally. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed graphic

While no deaths have been reported in Westport, the state’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said this week the number of people in Connecticut dying from drug overdoses continued to skyrocket in 2015.

More than 720 people overdosed, with heroin-related deaths climbing at alarming rates, the office said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, of the nationwide 47,055 drug-overdose deaths in 2014 — an all-time high, and more people than died of liver disease or renal failure, of suicide, or in car accidents — heroin was responsible for over one-fifth.

Friday, February 19, 2016

9:30 a.m. – Town Hall Room 201 – Commission for Senior Services
10 a.m. – 5 p.m. – Westport Arts Center – “Enid Munroe: Artist & Alchemist”
10 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Westport Historical Society – “Window to Westport’s Past & Present”
11 a.m. – Westport Library – Anyone Can Use … Instagram
11 a.m. – Westport Arts Center – ArtSpeaks: Enid & Alexandra Monroe
2 p.m. – Town Hall Room 201/201A – Shellfish Commission & Sherwood Mill Pond Committee
2 p.m. – Westport Library – Roald Dahl Film Festival: “The BFG”
3 p.m. – 5 p.m. – Westport Library – Drop-in Tech Help
4 p.m. – Westport Library – ChessClub: Grades K-12
8 p.m. – Town Hall – Westport Community Theatre: “Light Up the Sky”

See more events: Celebrate Westport Calendar

Thursday, February 18th, 2016

Playhouse David Bowie Tribute Set for March 8

Fans of David Bowie will come together on Tuesday, March 8 at the Westport Country Playhouse for an evening to celebrate his life and music, according to Westport best-selling author Jane Green, who is producing the event.

David Bowie: event will benefit AIDs chariity. Contributed photo

Set to begin at 7 p.m., the event will benefit Keep a Child Alive, Bowie’s charity of choice, she said. All tickets are $25.

“There are many of us lurking behind closed doors, silently grieving a man whose music we loved, a man who gave so many of us permission to stand outside the mainstream during those awkward teenage years,” Green said.

“This is a chance for us to come together and celebrate someone who had tremendous impact on so many of our lives.”

Neil G. Farans, 77

Neil G. Farans of Westport died Feb. 17 at home. He was 77.

Neil Farans: Air Force veteran. Contributed photo

Born Feb. 21, 1938 in Norwalk, he was the son of the late William and Mildred Gans Farans. He attended Norwalk High School, and graduated from the University of Florida, before joining the Air Force Reserves where he was called in to active duty for the Bay of Pigs.

He then returned home to join the family business, Pennsylvania Petroleum Company (Pepco), for almost 30 years, before founding Eastern Environmental Technologies, a waste management disposal company. He was a past president of the Norwalk Exchange Club, and an active member in the community.

He was an avid boater, loved gardening, his family, and his dogs.

Going Down: 223 Hillspoint Road

The house and cottage at Westport’s 223 Hillspoint Road, opposite Elvira’s in the Old Mill section, were demolished today. The house, built in 1910, is a 2-1/4 story colonial and has 2,606-square feet. Built in 1920, the one-story cottage has 504 square feet. The structures are situated on a .24-acre waterfront property that changed ownership in September 2014 for $2.9 million. View is the side of the house which faces the water. (See Westportnow July 4, 2015) (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com