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Little Compton Historical Society to unveil new exhibition and book.
EverythingWestport.com
Monday, June 27, 2011
 This
Fourth of July weekend the Little Compton Historical Society, the Friends of
the Sakonnet Lighthouse and the Sakonnet Preservation Association will unveil
a new exhibition and book that explores the importance of Sakonnet Point from
a variety of perspectives.
The project, which is called “Sakonnet Point Perspectives,” will be
celebrated with two special events over Fourth of July weekend and will be
open to the public through Columbus Day. The book, written by James Garman
and Michelle Styger, will go on sale at the Little
Compton Historical Society on July 2 and at a variety of area retailers
immediately afterward.
In addition to the book and exhibit
the project that began in 2010 will produce a series of Walking Tours of
Sakonnet Point and will result in a permanent public archive of materials
housed at the Little Compton Historical Society and available on-line through
their website www.littlecompton.org.
“Sakonnet Point Perspectives” was generously funded by The Newport County
Fund of the Rhode Island Foundation and the Rhode Island Council for the
Humanities. This is the first collaborative project for the Historical
Society, the Friends and SPA. All three organizations dedicated significant
volunteer and/or staff time to the project and the result clearly benefits
from the addition of each organization’s unique perspective. The resulting
materials each explore the Point’s historical, economic, cultural and
environmental importance.
According to LC Historical Society
Managing Director, Marjory O’Toole “The inclusion of over 40 oral and written
histories has made the project very lively and very personal for our local
residents. Oral history projects just bring out the best in a community.”
Special Exhibition
The “Sakonnet Point Perspectives” special exhibition
at the Historical Society will open to the public on Saturday, July 2,
featuring enlargements of historic images from Sakonnet Point and a variety
of objects including swordfishing harpoons, woolen
bathing suits and the lens from the Sakonnet Lighthouse, recently returned to
Little Compton from the Maine Lighhouse Museum. The
exhibit will run from July 2 to Columbus Day and is open Thursday – Sunday
from 1 to 5 PM through Labor Day and then Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 5
through Columbus Day. The exhibit is free to LCHS members, $3 for non-members
and $1 for non-member children. The exhibit and a guided tour of the Wilbor House Museum is $5 for non-member adults and $1
for children. Special guided tours of the exhibition are available to private
and school groups of any size by appointment. The special exhibition is
located at the Wilbor House Museum, 548 West Main
Road.
Exhibit Preview Party
For anyone interested in a sneak peak of the exhibition, the Historical
Society will host its annual Exhibit Preview Party on Friday, July 1 from 6
to 8 PM. This year’s theme is a "Prohibition Party" recreating the
atmosphere of the speakeasy that was once a part of the grand Lyman Hotel at
the Point. Guests are encouraged to wear period clothing and all Prohibition
Era vehicles that arrive at the party will be given priority parking. The
party will feature a 1920s menu of hor d’oeureves by Wilhelmina’s Catering, Blount Chowder and
Sakonnet Vineyards wine. Beer, softdrinks and a
Prohibition Punch will also be served. Tickets begin at $30 per person and
are available by dropping by or calling the Little Compton Historical
Society.
Family Day
The new exhibition and book will also be highlighted at this year’s Family
Day celebration on July 2 from Noon to 4 PM. Family Day is the Historical
Society annual celebration signaling the start of the summer season. All
activities at Family Day and even the food are free. The event is open to the
public and is the Historical Society’s way of thanking the local community
for their support throughout the year.
This year Family Day will include live music by Gary Fish, a Fish Tale
Contest, a Lobstacle Course for children,
children’s crafts and games, free tours of the Wilbor
House and the exhibition, complimentary refreshments, and books sales.
The Book
The full-color, softcover book will contain
just under 150 pages. It will retail for $15. Members of LCHS, FSL or SPA
receive a $3 discount on every book purchased. Readers may purchase the book
during the Historical Society’s regular hours (9 AM to 3 PM Tuesday and
Wednesday, 9 AM to 5 PM Thursday & Friday, and 1 to 5 PM on Saturday and
Sunday) or may send a check to PO Box 577 that includes $5 shipping and
handling for each book.
“Sakonnet Point Perspectives” will also be available at the SPA office during
their normal hours and at their special events. Also look for the book at
local retailers like Wilbur’s Store, Partners Village Store, and Sakonnet
Vineyards. The Historical Society will also be selling First Light at
the Congregational Church Fair and the Little Compton Antiques Show.
Borrowing copies will be available at the Brownell Library.
Volunteers are needed to staff the exhibition throughout the summer. For more
information please call or click (401) 635-4035 or see the Historical
Society’s website www.littlecompton.org.
Kindergarteners
from Macomber School harvest their garden.
EverythingWestport.com
Thursday, June 23, 2011
submitted photos.
 The end
of the school year marked another successful gardening season for the
kindergarten students from Alice A. Macomber
Primary School in Westport. Throughout the year students learned from the
Westport River Watershed Alliance the importance of organic gardens: how to
grow a garden without the use of chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides. The
year brought many exciting activities starting in the fall when students made
scarecrows, harvested sunflower seeds and planted bulbs. Students spent the
winter months eagerly watching the bulbs waiting for them to sprout as one of
the first signs of spring.
Left: Kindergarten students from Macomber
Primary School in Westport hold up radishes that they picked from the organic
garden that they grew with the Westport River Watershed Alliance.
After the bulbs began to grow,
students planted seeds in their classroom and watched pumpkin, peas, dill,
basil, marigolds and sunflowers grow in their classroom. Once the plants were
large enough, the students joined WRWA outside and learned how to transplant
seedlings into the garden space. Students observed how natural pest remedies
such as flowers and herbs can repel unwanted insects from their plants. The
end of the season allowed students to harvest and taste lettuce, onion, radishes,
Swiss chard and herbs.
The garden provided a hands-on
component to the children’s curriculum where the students learned about food,
and observed the parts of a plants and plant life cycles. The organic garden
also allowed the students to see how it is possible to garden without the use
of chemicals which can potentially pollute the river after rainstorms.
The garden would not have been
possible without the very generous donation of plants from Peckam’s Greenhouse in Little Compton, RI as well as
compost donations from Al Lees. This program is supported by the Westport
Cultural Council through a grant from the Helen E Ellis Charitable Trust
administered by Bank of America.
This program was a part of the
Westport River Watershed Alliance’s Watershed Education Program. Each year
from PreK to High School students learn about
different aspects of their watershed. The Westport River Watershed Alliance
provides the program as a compliment to the science curriculum each grade is
covering for the year. It provides a hands-on way for students to not only
learn science, but also about the habitats that are in their own backyards.
For more information please contact the Westport River Watershed
Alliance at (508) 636-3016.
Above: A
kindergarten class from Macomber Primary School
hold up a part of their harvest from the organic garden that they grew with
the Westport River Watershed Alliance.
Meet the Westport River Watershed
Alliances Summer Interns.
EverythingWestport.com
Thursday, June 23, 2011
submitted photos.
 It's summertime again, and that means that
the WRWA has hired their new interns to help with their education and water
quality programs at the Westport River Watershed Alliance. This year they
were very fortunate to receive funding from Citizens-Union Savings Bank to
add a second intern position to be offered to students from our local
colleges. WRWA is so grateful to be able to host such a wonderful pair of
students.
Megan Madara joins them for her fourth year with WRWA as our
multi-talented intern. Megan is a
candidate for B.M., Music Business/ Management and Guitar Studies at Berklee College of Music, Class of 2014. Megan is
originally from New Jersey, but with extended family spread throughout
southern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, she has spent her summers in
Westport. While living in Westport, Megan wanted to learn more about the
natural life in Westport and how she could help protect the river, as well as
encouraging others to do the same. She became involved with WRWA first as a
summer camper, then a volunteer leader-in-training, and for the past four
years, a summer intern. Over the years, Megan has combined her love for music
with her appreciation for Westport’s environment and marine science by
bringing new educational music to the summer programs.
Ami Araujo joins them for the first time this year but she
is already leading education programs like a pro.  Ami is a Biology major at University of
Massachusetts Dartmouth, Class of 2012. She is long-term lover of animals and
the outdoors; Ami has always been interested in the protection of natural
habits, as well as the conservation of our Earth’s natural resources. Ami is
a lifelong resident of East Freetown, Massachusetts, and has spent the
majority of her summers at Horseneck Beach, where she has witnessed both the
consequences of littering and water pollution, as well as the positive
impacts of protecting the dunes and piping plover populations. She has also
spent a great deal of time volunteering at local child-care facilities, where
she has developed a love, and great appreciation, for education. She wishes
to pursue a career in environmental education, in which she can combine her
interest in both subjects. In doing so, she hopes to help educate future
generations regarding the impact that their actions have on the health and
longevity of our planet.
WRWA’s mission
is to restore, protect, celebrate, and sustain the natural
resources of the Westport River and its watershed which encompasses six
towns: Dartmouth, Fall River, Freetown, and Westport in Massachusetts, and
Little Compton and Tiverton in Rhode Island. WRWA accomplishes its goal of
protecting the watershed through education, advocacy, and community outreach.
For further information on WRWA, please contact the office staff at (508)
636-3016 or visit www.westportwatershed.org.
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2011 Community Events of Westport
All rights reserved.
EverythingWestport.com
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