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Wednesday, January 07, 2009

The National Weather Service in Upton, N.Y. has issued a freezing rain advisory for Westport and area which is in effect until 6 a.m.

Areas of freezing rain will continue through the early morning hours before changing over to all rain, the advsory said.

With temperatures hovering around the freezing mark, ice accumulations will be between a tenth and one-quarter of an inch, it sad.

A freezing rain advisory means that periods of freezing rain or freezing drizzle will cause travel difficulties.

The Y’s Women of Westport Weston held a new members coffee ths week at which new members and board members introduced themselves and heard of the many activities available to members. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

8:30 a.m. – Town Hall Room 309 – PIC Downtown Plan Subcommittee
10 a.m. – Town Hall Room 201 – PIC Environmental Subcommittee
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “C²=(CP + LP)”
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “Abandoned Warehouse”
Noon - Westport Public Library - Authors@the Library: Julia Glass, “I See You Everywhere”
7 p.m. – Town Hall Room 309 – Green Energy Task Force
7 p.m. - Staples High School Room 1025C - Board of Education
7:30 p.m. – Town Hall Room 201 – Flood & Erosion Control Board
7:30 p.m. – Westport Public Library – Library Board of Trustees
8 p.m. – Town Hall Auditorium – Board of Finance (live coverage cable channel 79 and westportct.gov)

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Westport developer David Waldman (c) met with members of the Historic District Commission and Architectural Review Board tonight to discuss plans for his Bedford Square project in downtown Westport. The makeover of the current Westport Weston Family Y building at 59 Post Road East will include retail shops, restaurants, condominiums, and a piazza public space with fountain. The Y plans to move its headquarters to its Camp Mahackeno site. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

John W. Booth, a senior member of Westport’s Representative Town Meeting (RTM), announced his resignation tonight. He had served since 1993.
John W. Booth: Served since 1993. WN file photo

In a message read by Moderator Hadley Rose, Booth said: “Tonight is my last meeting. This is principally because with the onset of Parkinson’s disease, I can’t be as dependable in my presence at RTM and committee meetings.”

Rose said he “was obviously disheartened that John could not make it anymore.” He added:  “I understand his reasons why. John was, frankly for me, kind of a mentor when I first arrived on the RTM.”

The 76-year-old Booth, who represented District 5 in the Greens Farms area, was a longtime chair of the legislative body’s Finance Committee. Under the town’s charter, fellow district representatives will select a successor to fill out Booth’s term, which expires in November. 

UPDATE Jim Himes was sworn in today as the first Democratic congressman from Connecticut’s 4th District, including Westport, in 40 years.
Jim Himes: named to Financial Services Committee. Contributed photo

Himes, who was one of 54 freshmen taking the oath of office as the 111th Congress convened, said: “It’s been quite an adventure today.”

Only hours earlier, it was announced that he had landed a slot on the House Financial Services panel, one of his top hoped for committee assignments.

He later told reporters that the No. 1 priority for the committee and the Congress “is to get a stimulus package together which starts the process of turning around the economy.”

More "Himes Sworn In, Lands Spot on Financial Services"

The National Weather Service in Upton, N.Y.  has issued a coastal flood advisory for Westport and area which is in effect from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. Wednesday.

The combination of high astronomical tides and expected tidal departures of one and a half to two feet above normal will result in minor coastal flooding around the times of high tide late tonight into early Wednesday morning, an advisory said.

A clean-up crew today worked on the property of 7 Pritchard Lane, off of Westport’s Maple Street South, following its demolition. Built in 1951, the one-story ranch had 2,094 square feet, situated at the end of a cul-de-sac on a 1.14 acre property and changed ownership last month at $1,120,000.  Prior to that it changed hands for $975,000 in October 2006.  It was the WestportNow Teardown of the Day on June 25, 2008. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Rotary District Governor Rick Benson (l) led the Westport Rotary Club induction ceremony today of two new members, Jim Pendry of Westport and William Berson of Weston at the club’s weekly meeting held at Bertucci’s Restaurant. Participants in the event included (l-r) Benson, Dave Matlow, Pendry, Berman and Dr. Richard Epstein. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for Westport and area from 6 p.m to 6 a.m. Wednesday.

Snow is expected to arrive by this evening, an advisory said. As warmer air moves in aloft, precipitation should mix with and change to sleet by late this evening, then change over to freezing rain and sleet overnight.

The precipitation should change to all rain by sunrise Wednesday morning as warmer surface air begins to move in from the south. The precipitation will then change to all snow before ending Wednesday evening.

Total snow and sleet accumulation of up to an inch is expected tonight followed up to one-quarter of an inch of ice accumulation late tonight.

By Jim Cameron
Special to WestportNow

Any PR person can tell you: the best way to bury bad news is to release it at 5 p.m. on a Friday because nobody pays attention to the news on the weekends.

So on Friday, Jan. 2 at 5 p.m., Gov. M. Jodi Rell released the results of her $630,000 consultant’s report on the much needed New Haven Rail Yard. Reading the 55-page report you can understand why she didn’t want it drawing attention.

But let’s back up to explain why.

In 2002 when Hartford lawmakers finally approved funds for long overdue new rail cars for Metro-North, the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CDOT) told them an additional $331 million would also be needed for shops and improvements at the New Haven Rail Yard.

More "Talking Transportation: Consultants--Wasted Tax Dollars"

Reflections on the Saugatuck River in Westport on Monday. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

7:30 a.m. – Town Hall Room 309 – TEAM Westport Committee
8:45 a.m. – Town Hall Room 309 – Municipal Employees Pension Board
10 a.m. – Town Hall Room 201 – Administrative Review Committee
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “C²=(CP + LP)”
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “Abandoned Warehouse”
7 p.m. – Town Hall Room 309/307 – Historic District Commission/Architectural Review Board Joint Meeting
8 p.m. – Town Hall Auditorium – RTM (live coverage cable channel 79 and westportct.gov)

Monday, January 05, 2009

Citing difficult economic times, Westport Superintendent of Schools Elliott Landon tonight proposed a $96.4 million budget for 2009-2010, a 2.51 percent increase over the current year.
Elliott Landon: “A delicate balancing act.” Dave Matlow/WN file photo

“It was a delicate balancing act,” Landon told a meeting of the Board of Education.

He said the proposal reflects a 15.4 reduction in staff members, including 3.4 administrative positions, 5.0 teaching positions, 10.0 paraprofessional positions, 1.0 secretarial positions, and 4.0 bus driver positions.

He said elimination of four bus drivers for a savings of $211,000 would be achieved by moving up the start times by half an hour of Coleytown Elementary School and Coleytown Middle School.

More "Landon Proposes 2.51 Percent School Budget Increase"

A Wilton youth escaped serious injury today after he lost control of his vehicle while driving south on Wilton Road near Barry Lane, hitting a roadside embankment and rolling over. The teen, who was wearing a seatbelt and managed to crawl out after the crash, declined medical attention. There were no passengers in the vehicle. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Frozen water pipes on the second floor of a house on Jonathan Lane, off Treadwell Avenue, in Westport’s Saugatuck section today caused flooding and damage on all floors resulting in an estimated two feet of water in the basement The homeowners’ contractor appeared on the scene promptly while firefighters shut off the main water supply in the basement. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Theater veterans Mark Lamos and Michael Ross have been named artistic director and managing director, respectively, of the Westport Country Playhouse, it was announced today.
Mark Lamos: new artistic director. Contributed photo

The new leadership team will assume their positions on Feb. 1 as the Playhouse enters its 79th season.

Tony Award-nominated director Lamos was appointed following a year-long, nationwide search by the theater’s board of trustees. He will take the helm from Joanne Woodward and Anne Keefe, who served as interim artistic directors during the 2008 season.

They replaced Tazewell Thompson, who left in January, 2008 when the board of trustees cut his three-year contract short due to “artistic and professional differences.” (See WestportNow Jan. 2, 2008)

More "Playhouse Names New Artistic Director, Managing Director"

The Westport Police Department said today it will monitor very closely the efforts--or lack thereof--of snow removal companies and local businesses in removing snow from area parking lots and public sidewalks.

In a statement, Lt. Thomas P. Casimiro II, public information officer, noted that state law prohibits the illegal depositing of snow removed from public or private parking lots or driveway onto a highway. The fine for this violation is $100.

He said a Westport ordinance requires that the owner or person in possession and control of any property adjoining any business use sidewalk shall provide for the removal of snow and ice from the sidewalk within 24 hours after formation of snow or ice. The fine for a violation is $99.

“The Westport Police Department urges voluntary compliance of these statutes and ordinances,” he said.

More "Police Urge Compliance With Snow Removal Laws"

Byron R. Wien, chief investment strategist of Westport’s Pequot Capital Management, Inc., today issued his annual list of predictions for 2009, forecasting a 33 percent rise in the S&P 500, gold soaring to $1,200 an ounce, and oil increasing to $80 a barrel.
Byron Wien: Sees market improvement. File photo

Wien, whose hedge-fund firm manages about $4.3 billion, has issued his economic, financial market and political “10 Surprises” list annually since 1986. His predictions:

1. The Standard and Poor’s 500 rises to 1200. In anticipation of a second-half recovery in the U.S. economy, the market improves from a base of investor despondency and hedge fund and mutual fund withdrawals. The mantra changes from “fortunes have been lost” to “fortunes can still be made.” Higher quality corporate bonds, leveraged loans and mortgages lead the way.

2. Gold rises to $1,200 per ounce. Heavy buying by Middle Eastern investors and a worldwide disenchantment with paper currencies drive the price of precious metals higher. In a time of uncertainty, investors want something they can count on as real. 

More "Westport Hedge-Fund Strategist Issues 2009 Predictions"

It was back to work and back to school for the first time in 2009 for many Westporters today. Those who got it started with an early morning visit to Compo Beach found a pretty winter sunrise. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) John Dutt for WestportNow.com

Temperatures in the 30s did not dissuade some walkers at Westport’s Sherwood Island State Park on Sunday. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Kate DiBerardino for WestportNow.com

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “C²=(CP + LP)”
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “Abandoned Warehouse”
7:30 p.m. – Town Hall Room 309/307 – RTM Environment/RTM Public Works Committees
7:30 p.m. – Staples High School, Cafeteria B – Board of Education
7:30 p.m. – Town Hall Room 201 – Golf Advisory Committee

Sunday, January 04, 2009

Westport firefighters in recent days have responded to reports of burst frozen water pipes including today at this home on Sterling Drive in the Compo Beach area. The home sustained severe damage when a pipe in the second floor bathroom gave way. The residents discovered the problem after returning from an out of town trip. Firefighters shut off the main water supply and used water vacuums to clear out flooded areas. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

The Westport Arts Center’s WACky Family Sundays presents “Felting for Fun” today 2 to 4 p.m., at 51 Riverside Ave. Felting is an ancient craft in which vibrant wool fibers are layered to create a work of art. Through the addition of hot soapy water, the wool fibers are agitated and caused to shrink. This process allows the individual fibers to literally “knot-together” and become a single piece of strong fabric. Cost is $10 per child, adults and caregivers are free. Call (203) 222-7070 for information. Picture is from last year’s event. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

Noon - 4 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “C²=(CP + LP)”
Noon - 4 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “Abandoned Warehouse”
Noon - 4 p.m. - Westport Historical Society - “Unique Perspectives: Photography by Six Westport Artists” (last day)
Noon - 4 p.m. - Westport Historical Society - “WestportNow Photographers: The Best From the Best” (last day)
2 p.m. - 4 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - WACky Family Day “Felting for Fun”

Saturday, January 03, 2009

The Westport Public Library today hosted its annual “Reading to Rover” program. Nina Barandiaran, 11, read to two dogs participating in the Guiding Eyes for the Blind program--Lacey (l), 10, who helps train other dogs and is a therapy dog, and puppy Gavin, 4 months, who is being trained to be a Guiding Eye for the Blind dog. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phylls Groner for WestportNow.com

The Saugatuck River in Westport’s center was ice-covered after days of subfreezing temperatures. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Fairfield Theatre Company (70 Sanford Street, Fairfield) - Westport/Fairfield Winter Farmers Market
Noon - 4 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “C²=(CP + LP)”
Noon - 4 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “Abandoned Warehouse”
Noon - 4 p.m. - Westport Historical Society - “Unique Perspectives: Photography by Six Westport Artists”
Noon - 4 p.m. - Westport Historical Society - “WestportNow Photographers: The Best From the Best”
7 p.m. - Toquet Hall Teen Center - Fourth World Nation w/ Heatherbird, The Field Recordings

Friday, January 02, 2009

Westport firefighters were on Round Pond off Compo Road South today testing a rescue sled. There are openings front and back to help maneuver the vehicle and to reach through for a possible rescue. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phylls Groner for WestportNow.com

First Selectman Gordon F. Joseloff announced today that Westport has been awarded a matching grant of $49,990 from the Connecticut Department of Agriculture to monitor water quality affecting shellfish beds.

The project will provide expanded data on indicator bacteria levels identifying areas of contamination that have an impact on recreational and commercial oyster and clam fisheries, he said.

The grant application was submitted by Westport’s Conservation Department and the Harbor Watch/River Watch program of Earthplace, The Nature Discovery Center. Funding will allow the program to expand a shoreline survey of the Saugatuck and Norwalk estuaries started in 2008.

Last year, Westport received a similar grant of $47,943. 

More "Westport Receives $49,990 Grant to Monitor Water Quality"

Westport National Bank today sought to assure customers and employees that it acted only as a custodian for customers investing in Bernard Madoff Investment Securities.
Westport National Bank sent a letter to customers and employees saying it acted only as a custodian for customers investing with Bernard Madoff. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com/file

The bank sent a letter to clients and employees after two law firms in Florida said investors had retained them to investigate claims that the bank had sent customer funds to Madoff, a securities dealer under investigation for an alleged $50 billion Ponzi scheme. (See WestportNow Dec. 31, 2008)

“First, be assured that the Bank has not invested any of its own funds or the funds of its depositors with Madoff, and the Bank has not advised any customer or anybody else to invest with Madoff,” said Richard T. Cummings Jr., president of the bank at 1495 Post Road East, a division of Connecticut Community Bank, N.A.

In 1999, at the request of an unidentified local company, Westport National Bank replaced another financial institution as the custodian for a number of individuals and entities that were investing with Bernard L. Madoff Securities, Cummings said.

More "Westport National Explains Madoff Ties"

Westporters who registered a car between Oct. 1, 2007 and Aug. 1 of this year will be getting corrected auto tax bills, First Selectman Gordon F. Joseloff said today.

He said after the recent mailing of the supplemental motor vehicle tax bills, it was discovered that the amount due should have reflected a credit for a partial year registration but did not.

Corrected tax bills have been mailed, he said. Payments can be made until Jan. 31 without penalty.

Residents who have already made payment of the tax are asked to contact the Office of the Assessor at (203)341-1070.

All was peaceful at the Kowalsky family’s Peaceful Valley Farm in Westport’s Greens Farms section on New Year’s Day. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Lynn U. Miller for WestportNow.com

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “C²=(CP + LP)”
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “Abandoned Warehouse”
11 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Westport Public Library - Family Program: Vacation Movie - “Ratatouille”

Thursday, January 01, 2009

A water main break shut down Westport’s North Avenue near Northside Lane, police said.

The rupture in the vicinity of 190 North Ave. caused water to run down the roadway in sub-freezing temperatures.

Westport Public Works crews sanded in the area and workers from Aquarion Water Company were on the scene, police said.

It was not known how long the roadway would be shut or how many homes in the area were affected.

PROPERTY TRANSFERS

Westport Property Transfers Dec. 8 - 12, 2008
MORE >>

ARTS & LEISURE

Playhouse Names New Artistic Director, Managing Director

WACky Family Day Today: “Felting for Fun”

BUSINESS

Showing Off Proposed Bedford Square Project

Westport Hedge-Fund Strategist Issues 2009 Predictions

COMMUNITY

Even the Marshes Get Cleaned Up

Making a Difference at Westport’s Mill Beach

HEALTH & FITNESS

Westport Environmental Summit

Flu Shots: No Pain at the Train

EDUCATION

Landon Proposes 2.51 Percent School Budget Increase

Westport Teens Featured in “Lord’s Boot Camp” Discussion

OBITUARIES

Beverly J. Lloyd (nee Hicks), 56

Raymond H. Lewis, 75

POLITICS

Himes Sworn In, Lands Spot on Financial Services

Westporter Among Electoral College Voters

REAL ESTATE

Showing Off Proposed Bedford Square Project

All Gone: 7 Pritchard Lane

SPORTS

Soccer Scholar Athletes

Greenwich Rolls Over Staples 27-0 in Season Finale

SPECIAL REPORTS

Our Annual New Year’s Gift to WestportNow Readers
MORE >>

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Note: WestportNow Publisher Gordon F. Joseloff is also First Selectman of Westport