Westport in Brief!
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Monday, July 26, 2010
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With the simple stroke of a pen . . . EverythingWestport.com Sunday, July 11, 2010
In other business Chairman Ouellette
says no fiscal year ‘11 override questions on this year’s ballot. Fire Chief Brian Legendre thanked
Westport taxpayers and the Selectmen for supporting the new station, and
announced that the fire house was formally occupied as of July 16. “In addition, there are a few bugs to
work out, and we’re getting used to the facilities,” the Chief said. “There
is still several months’ work to be done by the Fire Station Building
Committee.” Selectman Paul Schmid told the
audience that the original proposed “first year cost to homeowners was to be
around $95. Because the project came in over a million dollars below budget,
that first year cost will now be around $61 dollars per property owner,”
Schmid said.
The Chief invited all residents to
attend the upcoming dedication and grand opening ceremony at 11:00 a.m., July
30th. Fire house chili for all! The Selectmen also marked the 20th
anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act with a special
presentation organized by Elaine Ostroff, a member of the Commission On Disability. Selectmen Chairman Steve Ouellette
announced there would be no 2 ½ override questions on this year’s ballot.
“The deadline is tonight to put forth these ballot questions, and we are not
doing so,” he said. Town Administrator Michael Coughlin
added that “we will struggle the best we can this year, as cuts and budget
reductions are already in place. We may revisit this issue at the next town
meeting, and if override(s) are approved we’ll have a special town election
for fiscal year 2012.” Beach Avenue reopening? The highly controversial issue
between abutting property owners and town residents flared once again as
Attorney Brian Corey requested Selectmen reopen Beach Avenue to allow him
access to property he represents on the closed roadway. In July of 2009 the Board of Selectmen had decided
to begin the legal process of closing Beach Avenue to vehicles as residents
in the surrounding area were complaining again of cars getting stuck on the
dirt road and of trash being left behind by visitors. The Selectmen said they
would look into finding a new parking area so residents could walk down Beach
Avenue to the town landing and the beach. Nothing has happened since then, and some property
owners whose frontage comes from Beach Avenue want the town to reopen and
maintain the road, and allow them access to their lots. Selectman Brian Valcourt spoke in
defense of opening the sand-swept public way from Howland Street to the Knubble,
and in reopening Town Way as well. “We have more Atlantic Ocean frontage on
Beach Road than either East Beach or Cherry & Webb Beach, and town
residents can’t effectively use it,” the selectman said. “This asset has
provided fishing and recreational use to town residents for over three
hundred years.” The roads became public ways in the
early 1900s. Concerned over the possibility that
frustrated Beach Avenue property owners may sue the town over inaction,
Selectmen established a nine-member committee to examine the process of
reopening the two public ways, and the annual maintenance that would follow. “This committee is not being formed
to appraise the closing of these public ways,” said Selectman Spirlet,
“rather to begin the process of reopening and maintaining them.” Wild and Scenic Rivers designation debate gets wild. Selectmen Richard Spirlet made a
motion to add a non-binding ballot question to this year’s upcoming election
giving Westport voters the opportunity to decide on whether they want a Wild
and Scenic Rivers Act designation that is being proposed by environmental
groups for the Westport River and surrounding watershed. There was some heated discussion by
opponents and proponents, and the other Selectmen decided that the ballot question
was premature, and that this was an attempt by adversaries to kill the act
before there was enough information available to properly educate voters on
the its provisions. Spirlet disagreed saying the process has already started
forward, and it would be a disservice to not allow voters a chance to be
heard. Spirlet couldn’t get a second, and
the motion was dropped. This issue promises to produce a wild
and whitewater ride for years to come. WAG annual Summer Show and Sale
runs through Sunday. EverythingWestport.com Thursday, July 29, 2010
Westport is an important destination
in a tour of the coastal villages for those interested in contemporary art,
where talented and locally familiar artisans work their interpretation of our
evocative farming and seacoast community in oil, pastel and watercolor. And the center of this vibrant
art community is the Westport Art Group. Zompas,
Desjardins, Hallemeier, Broadbent, Adams, Viens, Keely, Donovan, Bean, Sexton
and their peers are among the 52 local artists exhibiting one new work each
in what is becoming a popular must-see summer exhibition and sale. Don’t miss their famous “Raffle Wall”
and your chance to win a piece by your favorite artist. Ready-for-framing 5”
x 7” artworks by WAG artists will be raffled. The drawing will be held
Sunday, August 1 2010 at 4:30 p.m.
Also on display are handcrafts by
eight local artisans. Items include hand-crafted jewelry, woodcrafts,
pottery, hand-blown glass jewelry and vases, crocheted items, scarves, art
prints and more! All arts and crafts are for sale.
Left: Westport Art Group studio on Main Road. Right:
Michele L. Bailey with her collage “Nothing . . . Without Passion” Westport Art Group, 1740 Main Road,
Westport Point. Open through Sunday
from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the week, and this weekend from 11 a.m. to 5
p.m. Click here to take a virtual tour of this year’s Summer Show and
Sale.
Left: Pottery by Susan Kremer. Right: “Ready for Winter” by Judith
Keeley
Left: Heide Hallemeier. Center: Kris Donovan. Right:
Karen Melanson EverythingWestport.com Thursday, July 29, 2010
Some seniors were jitterbugging in
the aisles, and all were be bopping to the ageless tunes from the “King of
Rock and Roll.” The very credible Soto was an instant
hit. Vic as an Elvis Presley impersonator has
performed at many COA’s. Thanks to the unsung hero of this
event - the Westport Cultural Council who funded the event.
Jan Wagner, a COA volunteer
coordinator, dances up a storm with Hilda Marguerita. View the photo
album for this event. 18 photos | Broadband/DSL speed |
EverythingWestport.com July 30, 2010
The Hudson Valley-bred songbird made
a one night appearance as she is touring the Northeast in concerts and at
farmers’ markets. A founding member of New York band
Native Tongue, Clapp was a key player in the early ’90’s folk-punk scene in
the city, with a steady gig at the legendary Cafe Sin-é, the stomping grounds
of a young Jeff Buckley. A highlight was singing with Sinead O’Connor. Jen Clapp has been touring the northeast region of the United States
in support of her new CD. Copies were available at the concert. Currently Jen lives in New York’s Hudson Valley where she regularly
performs in concert and at farmers markets. Songs from the CD are receiving play on many radio stations as well as
on internet radio. Jen was a featured artist for a 2-part interview with Sara
LaDuke on Performance Place, WAMC - Northeast Public Radio. She was also
featured on Laney Goodman’s Women on Air program and an interview with Jen
appears in Indie Sounds NY issue 39. More information at www.jenclapp.com and music available
on iTunes. Proceeds benefited the Westport Grange scholarship
fund. The Grange Cafe had a variety of beverages and home baked
goodies available. Copies of Jen’s CD were also available for
purchase. For more reviews visit her web site. www.jenclapp.com.
Jen Clapp performed at the Westport
Grange July 30th against the historic early 1900s stage curtain listing early
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