Westport
in Brief!
EverythingWestport.com
Wednesday,
July 29, 2015
Quick
Article Index . . .
Black Duck,
Hurricane of 38 and some very colorful local characters!
Westport Art Group to Host
Weekend Pastel Workshop in September.
Dogs:
a Continuing Problem/Presence on Westport Town Beaches Despite
Law.
Bill
Shattuck | Ben Shattuck at The Shattuck.
|
Black Duck, Hurricane
of 38 and some very colorful local characters! Oral histories
are a unique tool for studying local history. Davison Paull discusses his
project that brought together a collection of personal recollections about Westport
intended to provide a window into what life in town was like in the
past. EverythingWestport.com Photos|
EverythingWestport.com Wednesday,
July 29, 2015 By Robert Barboza, special correspondent to
EverythingWestport.com Historical society lecture focuses on ‘oral
histories’ of older residents. The Westport
Historical Society continued its ongoing history lecture series on July 23rd
at the Westport Grange with “Some True Stories” presented by Davison Paull
and Claude Ledoux… and some tall tales too – all
part of the oral histories collected by the two local historians over the
past 30 years. Ledoux opened the program by
talking about his long-running public access cable television show, Westport
Matters, which he began recording in 1993 and hosted until 2004. Around 2005,
he began broadcasting re-runs of the more than 400 programs in his Westport
Matters archives, continuing the show until 2010, he said. Over the years, Ledoux invited a number of guests to help him present
“video snapshots” of Westport life for viewers, talking about local history,
town government, farming and fishing, to name a few of the most popular
topics of the programs. Recording the life stories of older residents for
posterity was an important goal of the show, he said. About 100 of the
older broadcasts were lost or damaged in the process of converting old VHS
tapes to modern DVDs, but over 300 programs were preserved for the historical
record and are available at the Westport Library archives for residents to
view, or for future historians to study, Ledoux
said. Copies have also been given to the Westport Historical Society, he
noted. Ledoux has also contributed his
research on town government to the local history archives via the book, A
History of Westport in the 20th Century, co-produced by Carmen Maicco. The book contains Ledoux’s
observations on the changing landscape of the town as seen through 100 years
of annual town reports. Paull talked
about the more than 40 hours of interviews he conducted with older town
residents starting about 30 years ago. The oral histories he collected
reflected a lifelong interest in town history that can be traced back to his
grandfather, Attorney Richard Paull, another amateur historian who liked to
share his own stories of the good old days with his grandchildren.
Above: Davison Paull
points out the rum-runner, The Black Duck, tied up in Rhode Island. The
infamous “speed” boat could easily outrun the fastest of its Coast Guard
pursuers. Photo |
EverythingWestport.com The more he
became involved in recording oral histories from longtime residents of the
town, the more he came to realize “maybe they’re not all true,” Paull said. That
is why oral histories are little valued by real historians, who prefer more
reliable written sources to personal recollections which are not always
completely true. But, Paull noted, he has found that “pieces” of all the
tales of yore he collected during his project had some truth in them. The voices
telling those recorded recollections are largely gone now… such as Archer
Tripp, who recalled the Prohibition days in the 1920s, when Westport was a
popular destination for the rum-runner boats that brought their illegal booze
loads into the harbor on dark nights after meeting up with offshore cargo
vessels. “An awful lot of people were involved directly” in the profitable
business, but “only a few got arrested,” Tripp said on one tape made during
the town’s 1776 bicentennial celebration. Among the most
famous of the local rum-runner boats was the Black Duck, a sleek, fast
powerboat that regularly visited Westport Harbor when Tripp was a teenaged
worker at a Westport Point lobster company. One story he was told reported
the boat had been sunk in a gun battle with authorities, while another
recalled the three men killed when the Coast Guard fired on the boat in
nearby Narragansett Bay; the historical record showed the Black Duck was
actually seized by authorities and put into service pursuing other
rum-runners, Paull noted. Other local
“characters” he sat down to record included salty Everett Coggeshall,
in his 90s when his interview was given; David Rozenas,
a young eyewitness to the Hurricane of ’38 which devastated Westport Harbor;
and Emma Hart, a teenaged restaurant worker who left her job by the harbor
just before the worst of the storm hit, and so made it home safely that day
to tell the tale decades later. Separating the
fact from fiction is the most interesting part of collecting oral histories,
Paull told the audience of about 35 local history fans.
Completely true or not, the tales of yesteryear contained in those historical
accounts are saved for posterity, and that’s the most important part of such
projects, he said. Finding where the truth lies is the fun part, he
suggested. To find out more
about the Westport Historical Society, and other upcoming lectures and
special events, visit their website: http://wpthistory.org. Westport Art Group to Host Weekend Pastel Workshop in
September. There are some
spots left and the public is invited to register! EverythingWestport.com Friday, July 31, 2015 Registration is now open for a two-day workshop on Saturday and Sunday,
September 12th and 13th with established artist Rosalie In the workshop, students will work en plein air (outside, weather permitting) as Nadeau teaches
one to view nature’s ever-changing light, and to discover some classical
principles of creating art. Well-known for her generous coaching, Nadeau will
help to facilitate an artist's own unique style to bring more impact,
brilliance, depth and emphasis within the work. She asks you to
"revitalize your affair with paint or pastels as you come to see that
light is the subject!" Inset: Nadeau’s painting – Tides Out. The workshop is planned be held in the Westport Point area, on Saturday
and Sunday, September 12th and 13th, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Participants can paint
with pastel or oil paints. If the weather doesn't cooperate, the sessions
will be held inside at Westport Art Group's building on Main Road in
Westport. The cost of the workshop is $225 for Westport Art Group members and
$260 for non-members. You can mail a check to Westport Art Group at
P.O. Box 157, Westport Point, MA 02790 to save your place, or download the
pamphlet and registration form here: http://westportartgroup.com/media/2015/WAGnadeauWorkshop.pdf. Dogs:
A Continuing Problem/Presence On Westport Town Beaches Despite Law. Thursday, July
30, 2015 Letter to the Editor: Dogs are not
allowed on Westport town beaches between mid-April and mid-September.
Whenever dogs are legally on town property they must be leashed. These laws
are enforceable by the animal control officer and the police department, and
each violation carries a $50.00 fine. Despite this being the law for years
(at first by order of the Board of Selectman, than by vote of the Town
Meeting) compliance is minimal, if at all. The Beach
Committee is authorized by the Board of Selectmen to set and enforce beach rules.
However, the Town Meeting voted this year to make the restriction of dogs on
the town beaches a by-law and not simply an order of the Board of Selectman
or rule of the Beach Committee. Despite a majority vote by Town Meeting
attendees, this law is not being complied with. When dog walkers are told of
this rule they deny it is the law or claim to have been dog walking for long
enough to have “the right” to continue walking their dogs on the beach. How to change the culture of
dogs on the beach? Other towns and other beaches offer an example. The state
beach has employees checking in every car and “No dog” signs abound. Other
local beaches post patrol cars at their beach parking lots at times when
those who break the rules are likely to use the parking lot and beach. Police
ticket those who break the law. Currently people
who ignore the dog restrictions come before and after the lifeguards are on
duty during the season and anytime off season. Those who ignore the parking
permit requirements also avoid the most popular beach times. The
Westport Police can issue tickets for unpermitted parkers and those who abuse
the dog walking restrictions. Parking permits can be revoked for violations.
Although tickets are issued for those without parking permits, parking lot
patrols are intermittent and rarely occur in the early morning or late
afternoon and evening, times favored by dog walkers. With good enforcement we
can get our beach parking lot back from those without permits and our beaches
back from the plethora of dog walkers. In the past, the
beach committee prepared a pamphlet listing the rules of the beach (now
outdated) but it was not widely distributed. This should be updated and given
out to all residents who buy beach parking permits starting on January 1.
Likewise, all Westport dog owners should be told of the dog restrictions when
dog licenses are issued and given the pamphlet prepared by the Westport River
Watershed Alliance about the dangers of dog feces in our rivers and
waterways. The animal control officer and her assistant as well as the
Westport Police should make periodic trips to the beach during high usage
times to issue tickets. In 2014 Town Meeting voted to allow the beach
committee to use the money generated by the beach parking permit fee for
beach purposes. This money, which is substantial, can be used to make and
post signs restricting dogs from mid-April to mid-September and requiring
them to be leashed at other time. Call your local
town official and the animal control officer to ask them to implement
enforcement so we can all enjoy the beach as the law provides. M A Beck Westport,
MA Massachusetts legislature
unanimously voted to override Governor Baker’s veto of full day kindergarten
expansion grants. EverythingWestport.com Sunday, August 2,
2015 The Office of Representative Paul A. Schmid will be submitting a weekly
piece, titled “Updates from the Hill” in order to summarize the highlights
and happenings on Beacon Hill. Our goal is to bring the Legislature to
Bristol County and keep residents informed of events, key votes, and
legislation that may be of interest. Please do not hesitate to contact
Stephanie McCarthy if you have any questions. Representative Paul A. Schmid (D-Westport) co-chaired an
oversight hearing this week to discuss the phenomenon of honey bee colony
collapse disorder in front of the Joint Committee on the Environment, Natural
Resources, and Agriculture. The Committee will be hearing various bills this session relative to
bees, including regulating the use of pesticides, specifically
neonicotinoids, which are often linked to the decline in honey bee
populations. As bees are vital to pollination and the production of
fruits and vegetables, colony collapse disorder could potentially threaten
our supply of locally grown crops in Massachusetts. The Committee will
remain focused on this issue, and looks forward to hearing from interested
parties at future hearings. The Massachusetts legislature unanimously voted to override Governor
Baker’s veto of full day kindergarten expansion grants. This restores
$18.5M of funding in the state budget for early education across the
Commonwealth. Among many other municipalities throughout Massachusetts,
the Cities of Fall River and New Bedford will benefit from this
appropriation, bringing in crucial funding for necessary personnel. Representative Paul A. Schmid (D-Westport) joined his colleagues
in the House of Representatives and the Senate in approving a sales tax
holiday this year, set for August 15-16. The ‘holiday’ will suspend the
state’s 6.25% sales tax on items costing less than $2,500 with some exclusions. Contact Stephanie McCarthy at 617.722.2210 or email: Paul.Schmid@MAHouse.Gov Bill
Shattuck | Ben Shattuck at The Shattuck. EverythingWestport.com Sunday, August 2,
2015
Left: Bill Shattuck, Found. Right: Ben
Shattuck, Untitled #3 (Three Cod) "Father and son - gifted
artists both, united beyond their relationship in their roles as master
storytellers through the media of drawings, prints, and in Ben's case, the
written word, as well. But where their virtuosity is most apparent is when
paint hits the surface. Driven with equal passion but starting from
somewhat opposite positions, each succeeds in moving the viewer's perceptions
through masterful narratives hosted on the painted plane." - Rosanne Somerson, President,
Rhode Island School of Design; Professor of Furniture Design/Studio furniture
maker Ben Shattuck (b.
1984) is a graduate of Cornell University's College of Architecture, Art, and
Planning, and of University of Iowa's Iowa Writers' Workshop. He lived
and studied with painter Odd Nerdrum in southern
Norway. He has taught fiction writing courses at Victoria University of
Wellington, New Zealand, and the University of Iowa. He is currently at
work on his first novel. Click
here to view more of
their work and biographies. Bill Shattuck is
self-taught in drawing and painting and has developed an appreciation for
narrative through the power of the visual image. Much of his work
references the pastoral surrounding of his Dartmouth, Massachusetts
home. Shattuck is featured in numerous corporate, institutional, and
private collections, including the deCordova
Museum, the Wiggins Gallery, and the permanent print and drawing collection
of the Boston Public Library. Dedee Shattuck Gallery, 1 Partners Lane, Westport Gallery hours are
Wednesday through Saturday; 10 a.m., - 5 p.m.; Sunday 12:00 – 5:00 p.m. © 2015 Community Events of Westport. All rights
reserved. EverythingWestport.com |
