The Funicello family poses at their Tutti Restaurant, 599 Riverside Ave. Westport during a celebration of the homecoming of their professional soccer star son Giusseppi, 23. Until earlier this week, he played in the right back position for the Iceland Thor professional soccer team before his contract was acquired by the Finland IFK Mariehamm team for an extended 18-month term. The Finnish team has six games remaining on its schedule and, according to Giusseppi, he will be a starting player in each of them. Giusseppi, who was born in Salerno, Italy and moved to the United States with his parents when he was three, has played professional soccer internationally since graduating from Norwalk High School in 2005. He is pictured with parents Pasquale and Maria and sister Elvie. Giusseppi said he flies to Helsinki tonight. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

A new study of artificial turf fields containing crumb rubber infill conducted by four state agencies shows that health risks are not elevated from playing on the fields.
Workers tug at the snythetic turf laid down on the Staples High School football field in August 2006. It was the first of four such fields created in Westport. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo

However, higher contaminant levels at one indoor field indicate that ventilation of indoor fields should be considered, the report said. And storm water run off findings indicate that proper management of this run off is prudent to address possible environmental effects, it said.

The study was issued almost three years after Westport’s Parks and Recreation Department said that continued use of synthetic athletic turf fields in Westport is warranted despite concerns expressed by some that they may adversely affect the health of users. (See WestportNow Sept. 4, 2007)

Shortly afterward, the director of the Westport Weston Health District rejected a “demand” by two Westport residents that play on Westport’s synthetic turf fields be limited or eliminated while tests for health risks are conducted on the fields’ rubber infill.  (See WestportNow Sept. 27, 2007)

The Westport Seals, a travel baseball team for 12 and under, gathered on South Beach at Compo Beach tonight to celebrate the end of their season. The team came in second place in the East Shore team division. The Seals, comprised of sixth and seventh graders as well as two fifth graders, are coached by Westporters, Garrett Stonehouse, Andy Ludel, Mark Dulsky, Phil Casparius, and Jeb Backus. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Lynn U. Miller for WestportNow.com

The Westport Little League Girls Under 8 All Stars Wednesday night defeated Trumbull 15-14 at Trumbull for the championship. Pictured are (top row, l-r):  Coach Meghan Rice, Coach Mark McWhirter, Coach Elise Stone; Middle row: Natalie Schenck, Madison Andrews, Julia Lombardo, Emily Stone, Charlotte Cohen, Kate Rutter, Ellie Klein, Charlotte Yin; Bottom row: Sophia Alfero, Kate Feinberg, Lydia Donovan, Michaela Pritchett, Erin McWhirter, and Charlotte Tirola. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

The Red Sox are the Westport Little League Major League champs. The final game of the best of three series against the Cubs was played Friday at White Field with the Red Sox edging the Cubs 9-7 in extra innings. Pictured (back, l-r) are Cameron Felton, Karl Johnson, Jack Dulsky, Matthew McDermott,  Andrew Ingber, Jake Berman, Adam Lehrman, Sebastian Zeman, Matthew Chernok, Matthew Beranek, Michael Bottone, Coaches Mark Dulsky and Rob Lehrman.  Not pictured: Marco Latella. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

The Westport Chargers won the Junior Division softball championship with a 9-5 victory over a strong Bridgeport Black Rock team at Meyer Field on Friday. The eighth graders’ tough road through the playoffs had them beating a Trumbull team, two Fairfield squads and another Black Rock club in the semifinals. During the awards ceremony following the game, coach John Friend said that after 10 years of coaching, he was retiring and “with this victory, it was a great way to go out.” Seated (l-r): Emma Moskcovitz, Katherine Friend, Maya Mandell, Sara Banbury, Ruby Steinberg. Standing: Coach John Friend, Katie Burke, Lauren Mushro, Kellen Smithson, Dana Segal, Marie McHugh, Ast Coach David Moskovitz. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

The Royals won the Westport Little League Minors Championship with a 7-0 victory over the Mariners in the best-of- three competition. They won the first game on Wednesday 10-8. During the regular season, these teams played an 11-inning, two-day marathon, with the Royals winning that one as well (1-1 tie after nine innings). Seated (l-r): Cayne Mandell, Miles Feuer, Matthew Costello, Sam Chinitz, Jon Fumega. Standing: Ethan Wolf, Daniel Melo, Jake Chinitz, Matthew Chinitz, Keenan Pucci, Anthony Petrosinelli.Coaches (l-r) Ross Chinitz, Eric Petrosinelli.  (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

Some of the fifth and sixth grade Westport PAL girls lacrosse team celebrated the end of the season at P.J. Romano Field at Saugatuck Elementary School. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

More than 300 Westport lacrosse players—including both boys and girls—from grades 1-8, celebrated the end of the Westport PAL Lacrosse season tonight at a Compo Beach picnic. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Christy Casamassima for WestportNow.com