By James Lomuscio

When five area churches meet for the summer’s last service near the cannons at Compo Beach Sunday at 8:30 a.m., their prayers and tithings will go beyond Westport’s borders to Texas and Louisiana for Hurricane Harvey’s victims.

The Rev. Alison Buttrick Patton, pastor of the Saugatuck Congregational Church, said that leaders of the churches scheduled to hold the service agreed today that all offerings collected would go directly to hurricane relief efforts.

The Compo service, which has drawn between 200 and 300, is being concelebrated by Saugatuck Congregational Church, United Methodist Church in Westport, Norfield Congregational Church in Weston, the Green’s Farms Congregational Church and the Wilton Congregational Church. The service will be led by the Rev. Anne Coffman of Wilton Congregational.

Of her own church’s efforts, Patton said, “We already put out an appeal in an e blast, and we will put out another notice on Sunday.”

Westport Schools Superintendent Colleen Palmer gave the first day of school today high grades for a smooth opening for everything from the buses rolling on time to staff and student excitement about being back.

“We had a very smooth opening to our school year,” said Palmer, who had visited half of the district’s eight schools by 1:30 p.m. and the remaining four by the close of day.

“I got a chance to tour our schools, talking to teachers and staff; everyone is excited to be back,” she added.

Palmer said she planned to go during dismissal of the lower grades to meet the parents.