Westport in Brief!
EverythingWestport.com
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Quick Article Index . . .
Village Bicycle shutters it doors.
Westport
ROMEOs get a history lesson.
EverythingWestport.com
Wednesday, December 16, 2009 View the hi-resolution photo album for this
event now 67 photos | Broadband/DSL
speed | (Pictures in the first part of the photo album were
taken around 5:00 p.m. Sunday, while the remaining pictures were shot Monday
morning.)
Left: This East Beach property braved the full force of
the storm’s wind while reflecting the blazing light of Sunday’s stunning
sunset on its upper windows. Gale force warnings were in effect offshore
as 11 to 16 foot seas and 50 knot winds kept Westport’s fishing fleet in the
harbor and out of harm’s way. Winds howled all Saturday night observed by
those interested in staying up and watching the blizzard in motion. Snowfall
exceeded 20 inches in New Bedford. Potato Hill off Hixbridge Road was eerily
absent of sliders and tubers Monday as Westport schools were in session,
probably disappointing kids and adults alike.
Left: lower Pine Hill Road. Right: Eight foot snow
banks on Adamsville Road near the corner of Sodom Road. Gusty northeast winds
drifted snow hazardously over Westport roadways with adjoining open north
fields, posing a challenge to road crews in keeping them clear. Raging
on the eve of the winter solstice (the shortest day of the year) the storm
dropped nearly two feet of snow on parts of the Cape, closed airports, and
messed up the last weekend shopping day of Christmas, although fortunately
for retailers the last Saturday is considered the more important shopping day.
The
northeaster produced an economic stimulus package of its own; all major
retailers in the area were sold out of snow blowers Friday before the storm. But
the weekend blizzard spared many hardships as most commuters were home, and
some communities closed school the following Monday more out of caution than
necessity. The snow, although deep, was fluffy and was easily managed by
cleanup crews. Mother
nature whipped up a lot of beauty in the snow, just in time for the holidays.
The beauty of the blizzard could be found accenting historic
Westport landmarks, reminiscent of Currier and Ives, while snow delightfully sculpted
by the wind could be found throughout the town. It was nice to see something
other than cobblestones on Westport’s East Beach Road.
Westport docks. Only Harbormaster Richie Earle has to
shovel out his boat before he goes to work!
Left: flags honoring Westport veterans whipped in the
wind at Beech Grove Cemetery while (right) wintering-over Canadian geese flew
over snow-covered dunes at Horseneck Beach.
This surrealistic sunset on the eve of the winter
solstice (Sunday night) was nature’s poignant reminder of a better day to
come. (Unretouched photo) Village Bicycle shutters it doors. EverythingWestport.com Thursday,
December 24, 2009
“Thank you for the many years of business,”
said store owner Jim Lebelle. “Due to the tough economy we have had to go out
of business. Our mechanic John will be opening his own repair shop soon so he
will contact you if you had a free tune up and make sure you know where his
store is for future service. We wish you happy and safe holidays! Thank you
for many great years of business!” The high-end bicycle shop was known for promoting
comprehensive nutritional programs and for providing dietary guidance for its
fitness and athletic curriculums, services not usually found at an
independent retailer. Store owner Jim Lebelle and his professional staff will
be missed. Lebelle
is perhaps best known for his involvement in the 2009 RAAM bicycle marathon, a
competition against hundreds of other cyclists over some 3,000 miles and
across 14 states.
On
June 20, the Buzzards Bay Coalition member and owner of Westport’s Village
Bicycle, under the banner Team Save Buzzards Bay, embarked with his team on
an epic journey of a lifetime. Jim Lebelle and teammate, Tim Bryant,
competed against hundreds of other cyclists over some 3,000 miles and across
14 states - starting in Oceanside, California and ending in Annapolis,
Maryland. The Race Across America (RAAM) usually lasts 12 days.
If Jim and Tim wanted to win, they would need to finish in nine. The race,
considered the most grueling of its kind, is 806 miles or 26 percent longer
than the Tour de France and attracts both amateur and professional racers
from around the world. The route included climbs of more than 100,000
feet, and without any scheduled breaks the clock ticked until the racers
crossed the finish line. Lebelle
kicked off his 3000 mile coast-to-coast marathon on June 20. Team Lebelle
finished 5th, arriving in Annapolis on Tuesday, June 27, 2009. They covered 3021
miles in 7 days, 8 hours and 42 minutes! Read about Jim’s
planning for his epic RAAM journey across America. Read
about Jim’s Odyssey across America. It
has been reported that Lebelle has plans to move to the Carolinas to get
involved in a camping enterprise. Our wishes for success go with him and his
family. Lebelle has finished one journey; it’s time now for another. Westport
ROMEOs get a history lesson. EverythingWestport.com Thursday,
December 24, 2009
“Benjamin Crane
was employed by the proprietors to sort out who had what piece of land, there
was so much dissatisfaction,” O’Neill said. “At a meeting in Dartmouth in
1709 charges were made that the original survey prior to Crane made
unreasonable allowance apportioning the same to themselves and their friends
more than the amount they officially received.” The map became
known as the Crane Survey, and is the first known, accurate map of early
Westport. “Richard Sisson
was one of the first residents with a pre-1676 homestead located at the Head
of Westport,” O’Neill told the ROMEOs. “Prior to the King Phillips War only
30 families lived in what we now call Westport.” “Today’s Westport was the western most area
of the Massachusetts Bay Colony,” she said. “Family names
associated with these early settlers are: Almy, Earle, Macomber, Ricketson,
Sherman, Sisson, Sowle, Tripp, Waite and Wilcox,” O’Neill said. “Daniel
Wilcox from Portsmouth, Rhode Island purchased land in 1659 along the East
Branch, Pine Hill Road area, and was one of the original surveyors of
Dartmouth (which at that time included what is now Westport). He sold
Westport Point to Christopher Gifford.” According
to O’Neill, “Quakers, persecuted by the Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay
Colony, were among the early settlers along with the younger generation of
the original purchasers. Others came from Rhode Island looking for space and
good farmland.” “Generally
speaking, people were very reluctant to migrate to an area that they believed
was still dangerous and unregulated by any authority,” O’Neill said.
·
Quanset: short for
Nutaquanset – the place of fishing by fire or
at the burnt woods. ·
Noquochoke: land at the
fork. ·
Paquachuck: at the clear or
open hill. ·
Acoaxet: the land on the
other side of the little land. ·
Horseneck: from Hassenegk
meaning cellar dwelling ·
Massachusetts: land of the
hills. “After the King
Philips War, Westporters began to develop mills along the river, particularly
at the Head of Westport due to the abundance of rapidly flowing water. These
mills fueled the growth of 19th century Westport,” O’Neill said.
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