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News and events you may be interested in . . .  Updated Thursday, July 29, 2010

 

07/28/2010 - EEE warning expanded in Southeastern Massachusetts. A widening swath of Southeastern Massachusetts is now considered at high risk, according to the Boston Globe. The Department of Public Health has now included the communities of Acushnet, Berkley, Bridgewater, Carver, Duxbury, Fairhaven, Freetown, Halifax, Kingston, Mattapoisett, New Bedford, Plympton, Raynham, Rochester, and Taunton to Lakeville and Middleborough. Surrounding towns, including Westport, are considered to be at moderate risk.  Read more.

Click here to learn more about Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and learn how to protect yourself. 

 

t17.jpg07/27/2010 - With a simple stroke of a pen . . . Westport’s largest public works project officially came to an end as Westport selectmen signed off Monday evening on the new fire station bond issue. Total cost - $5.959 million. There were smiles all way round.

In other business Chairman Ouellette says no override questions will appear on this year’s ballot, and no ballot question on the Wild and Scenic River designation. 

Will Beach Ave. reopen?  Read more.

 

07/23-2010 - First quarter tax bills due August 2. Westport Real estate and property tax bills for the first quarter of 2010 are due August 2, and second quarter bills by November 1.  More.

 

07/19/2010 - Sign up to journey down Westport River with summer Watershed Explorers program sponsored by the Westport River Watershed Alliance. Children ages 12-15 have the opportunity to explore sections of the Westport River from the Head of Westport to its mouth at Westport Harbor during the week of June 26-30. 

Read more.

 

07/16/2010 - Westport's historic Handy House put on the market. The Cadman-White-Handy House, a National Historic Register building that dates to 1710, is for sale, and the owners are giving the town a chance to acquire the property. The house was added to the Historic Register in 1992 for architectural significance, which includes various styles that reflect the period in which different additions to the house were built.  More.

 

t4.jpg07/13/2010 A First! New mystery photo solved by both Gerry Santos and Steve Medeiros, independently, who both correctly guessed on 07/14/10 at about 09:38 “Twin Willow Farm on Sodom Road.  Gerry and Steve both win a $25 gift certificate to Partners Village Store and Kitchen, the area’s one-stop shopping for all your distinctive gift and reading needs. Consider your selections over coffee and a sandwich. Click here to learn more about Gerry’s and Steve’s answers.

 

07/11/2010 - A defective or non-functioning smoke alarm almost cost a young Westport woman her life in the recent devastating Drift Road fire. Protect yourself, your family and pets with proper smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Is your property safe? Click here to get all the details and state requirements for all age homes. Do it now. PDF

 

t1.jpg07/11/2010 - Westport Historical Society finds old newspaper, seeks information on its origin. The Historical Society has discovered an old weekly newspaper from 1896 called Westport News but can’t find any other information, like who published the paper and for how long.

“I’ve never heard of it until we just happened upon it,” said Jenny O’Neill, the Historical Society director.

There was one clue — the paper was mailed from a Fall River post office - but employees at the Fall River Library, as well as New Bedford’s, said they never came across the Westport News, O’Neill said. The newspaper is “completely undocumented,” she said. Even a search of an online library database came up with nothing. More.      Click here to read more historical facts and view hi-resolution photos.

 

06/30/2010 - The Westport Land Trust’s events newsletter for Summer/Fall 2010 is now available.  Read Events Newsletter now.

 

06/26/2010 - Westport residents need Yard Sale Permits. Westport Residents who are planning to hold a yard sale must obtain a Yard Sale Permit from the Building Department, Town Hall Annex, 856 Main Road.  Read more.

 

06/26/2010 - Westport Library announces summer hours. Summer hours go into effect on Thursday, July 1. Click here to get them now.

 

 

t11.jpg07/17/2010 Try as you might!  It seems this volunteer at the recent Westport Fair was taking devilish delight in watching escape artist Peter V. struggle with the overly-tightened fasteners of a sadistic strait jacket. But his amusement was short-lived as the Houdini-capable trickster strained, pulled, and exerted his mighty powers of concentration and manipulation to escape the restraints.  Click here to check out our Photo of the Week.

 

05/20/2010 - Tiverton Four Corners celebrating its 300th anniversary. In 1710, the Four Corners area was measured and bounded by an 80-acre mill lot, including the mill owned by Joseph Taber. The mill and village were called “Nomscot” for the pond which is now called “Nonquit.” This was when the nucleus of the village was formed.  Read more.

 

 

 

 

 

See more art and theater events now!

 


Community Bulletin Board

 

t1.jpg06/28/2010 - Jerry & Collette Thibault’s Watuppa Pond Flood Fundraiser on Sunday, August 22 at the Holy Ghost Club. Outdoor BBQ, Raffles, 50/50, Music and Drinks, Games and Kids’ Activities. Help get the Thibault’s out of a trailer and back into their home. The fundraiser is to raise money for an elderly Westport couple whose home was condemned during the March floods. They have been living in a camper on their daughter’s property since the last week in March, and the fundraiser is to raise money to get them back into their home. Click on the flyer for all the details. For more information call Ryan at (508) 264-2539, or email him at: watuppafloodfundraiser@gmail.com.  Visit www.facebook.com/watuppafloodfundraiser  

 

t9.jpg06/25/2010 - Local Girl Scout Reminds People to Stay Off The Dunes. Savannah Haines, a local Girl Scout in Westport Troop # 1135, recently placed signs she had designed and built to protect the beach grass at Cherry & Webb Beach.  These grasses hold the dunes together, and provide habitat for local species.  The grasses cannot withstand being trampled, and without them, the dunes would fall apart from erosion.  The signs are made out of durable aluminum and will be able to last through the seasons. The signs read, “FRAGILE AREA PLEASE STAY ON PATH” in green acrylic lettering to encourage visitors to stay on the main trails and out of the beach grass.  She worked with the Westport Conservation Commission, the Westport River Watershed Alliance, the Westport Beach Committee, and family & friends to get approval and to install the signs.   She designed, created, and placed the signs as part of her pursuit for her Girl Scout Silver Award, the highest award that a Girl Scout age 11-14 may earn.    Savannah will present her completed project to the Girl Scout Council of Rhode Island for final approval.  With these signs, visitors will be reminded to stay on the paths so the natural habitat will be out of harm’s way. 

 

06/07/2010 - 27th Annual Sunday Brunch Fundraiser for We Love Children to be held at Whites of Westport September 19. They are honoring Michael C. Mello, CPA and Lauretta Machado, We Love Children volunteers. You can call and ask for a form which can be filled out and mailed back with check, and be able to choose what you would like to be listed as in the Program Book. They need all information no later than August 10, 2010. Sorry, late entries cannot be posted in the program book. You can call Palmira Aguiar at (508) 324-2797(work), Fern Sousa at (508) 679-2449, Joyce Amaral at (508) 252-1206, or Carol Amaral (508) 989-5406(cell) or 508-636-8380(home).

 

Book donations for the Friends of the Westport Library Book Sale of September 11 - 18, 2010 can be taken to the Westport Public Library, Old County Road during April through August. The library is open Mon. 10 a.m. - 8:30 p.m., Tues. & Wed. 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., Thurs. 12 noon - 8:30 p.m., Fri: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sat. 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. (closed on Sat. in July and August). Please, all t2.jpgbooks must be in good condition. We cannot accept encyclopedias, textbooks, or paperback romances as they will not sell and will have to be discarded. Proceeds from the sale are used to enhance the circulation holdings of the library.


Westport Historical Society seeks Civil War material. 2011 marks the beginning of the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. In preparation for this anniversary Westport Historical Society is undertaking research into Westporters who were involved with the Civil War as soldiers, medical officers and other roles. The historical society seeks photographs, objects, any personal papers, accounts, correspondence and biographical information on Civil War veterans from Westport.  More.

 

 

 

Find out about all local area upcoming events. 

Click here for our weekly calendar!

 

 

 

 

 

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Hope and change or hope to change?

 

Westport - No matter what side of the political aisle you are on, this mid-term election year promises unbridled anticipation and unexpected opportunities to fill decades-old, unopposed seats with new faces and fresh perspectives.

 

Follow all the action in our local race as it leads up to the September 14 primary and the November 2 county and statewide elections.

 

Watch this section for daily updates.

 

Election 2010

 

 

 

Monday, July 26 - Proulx at Whites. There will be a luncheon this Thursday, July 29th at White’s of Westport in the Pricilla Dining t11.jpgRoom. The Westport social group will be hosting David Proulx, a republican sticker/write-in candidate for State Representative in the 8th Bristol District being vacated by Mike Rodrigues, who is running for State Senator. The retired Correctional Officer of 20 years currently teaches at an educational collaborative on Cape Cod.

Saturday, July 24 - Hodgson calls on supporters to help him win third term. With hundreds of supporters gathered on Taunton Green Saturday, Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson formally announced his candidacy for a third term.  More.

 

Monday, July 26 - Eighth District Representative Democratic candidate David Dennis has received the endorsement of the health care workers of 1199SEIU. Michael Coogan, Democratic candidate for the First Bristol and Plymouth Senate District, has garnered the support of the Westport Permanent Firefighters Association, IAFF Local 1802, which represents firefighters and paramedics employed by the town of Westport.

 

Wednesday, July 21 - Quinn kicks off campaign for county sheriff.  Kicking off his campaign for sheriff, John Quinn greeted his supporters Monday and made a case for change. Quinn, a Democratic state representative from Dartmouth, hopes to unseat longtime Republican incumbent Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson. Democrat Alan Garcia, a retired state trooper, is also seeking the office. More.

 

Thursday, July 8 - Bristol County Sheriff Tom Hodgson visits with the ROMEOs. Click here to read more.

 

Wednesday, July 21 - Lakeville selectman running for Menard’s Senate seat.  As he seeks a Senate seat on Beacon Hill, Derek Maksy sees a state in need of change. Kicking off his campaign, Maksy told supporters at White’s of Westport Wednesday night he is running for the 1st Bristol and Plymouth Senate seat because the state is in need of help and he feels he is ready to provide it. Maksy is the lone Republican seeking to capture the seat being vacated by Joan Menard, D-Fall River.  More.

 

Wednesday, July 21 - Coogan opens campaign office. Michael Coogan, Democratic candidate for State Senate of the First Bristol and Plymouth District (represents Westport), has opened a campaign office at 154 N. Main Street, Fall River.  More.

 

 

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Happening Now in Westport!

The events you don’t want to miss!

 

Monday, Jul 26 thru Sunday, August 1 - Westport Art Group presents 54rd Annual Summer Show & Sale at 1740 Main Road, Westport Point.  Open Monday – Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and weekends from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The eagerly anticipated WAG Summer Show is FREE and open to the public. The Show features artworks by WAG and other local artists, plus handcrafts by local artisans. Crafts 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.

Don’t miss our 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. Chances are one for $2.00, three for $5.00, and eight for $10.00. The drawing will be held Sunday, August 1, 2010 at 4:30 p.m. 

Click here to see photos of the 2009 53rd Annual Summer Show and Sale.

 

Monday, Jul 26 thru Friday, July 30 - WRWA to sponsor Watershed Explorers exploration of Westport River.

Children ages 12-15 have the opportunity to explore sections of the Westport River, from the Head of Westport to its mouth at Westport Harbor in an exciting outdoor adventure with the Westport River Watershed Alliance this summer.

The week-long summer program, Watershed Explorers, includes three days of kayaking on the river with Osprey Sea Kayak Adventures, and two days of exploring the coastal habitats at Westport's Town Beach. Along the way, participants will discover and learn about the creatures of the forest, wetland, freshwater, estuary and marine habitats found in this region.

The program is being offered this summer during the week of July 26-30, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday). Cost is $360 for the week for WRWA members (non-members, $390) and includes three days of kayak rentals.

Space is limited, so please call Shelli Costa, Education Director, at (508) 636-3016, or visit www.westportwatershed.org , for more information on registration.

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.

 

Thursday, July 29 - Westport ROMEOs to host David Proulx at White's of Westport. There will be a luncheon this Thursday, July 29th at White’s of Westport in the Pricilla Dining Room. The Westport social group will be hosting David Proulx, a republican sticker/write-in candidate for State Representative in the 8th Bristol District being vacated by Mike Rodrigues, who is running for State Senator. The retired Correctional Officer of 20 years currently teaches at an educational collaborative on Cape Cod.
Proulx feels that constituent services are the cornerstone of good representation. He also believes that economic growth, jobs and prosperity come from a vibrant private sector, and a smaller less intrusive government. He will address the thorny issues of our area's high unemployment, backyard casino, and the Southeast Rail corridor's impact on Westport. He lives in Fall River with his wife and two sons. 
 The ROMEOs, Retired Older Men Eating Out, has been an active social group sharing lunch and every Thursday for the last 20 years at various local restaurants, Whites of Westport being the latest. All are welcome. You pay for your own lunch, but you have the pleasure of the best company our area offers. There are no age limits. Come and experience what the ROMEOs are all about.
No reservations necessary. For more information, please call Joe Crowley at (508) 636-6442, or email him at pennyman68@charter.net

 

elvis impersonator.jpgThursday, July 29 - Vic Solo at the Westport Senior Center. A Unique Entertainer will be coming to the Westport COA at 12:00 p.m. Vic is an Elvis Presley impersonator, who has performed at many COA’s – Come and join in on the fun!! Please call to make reservations at (508) 636-1026. 75 Reed Road, Westport

 

Thursday, July 29 - Partners Village Store will host a “Poetry Night” featuring Geraldine Zetzel and Joanie Mackowski.  Zetzel, a longtime summer resident of Westport, and Mackowski, who is staying in town this summer, will both be reading from their new work. All are welcome to meet the authors, and light refreshments will be available. Starts at 5:30 p.m.

Zetzel, a Buddhist and teacher at the Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement, has been published in many journals and anthologies. Her new collection, Mapping the Sands, has been noted for its “music and the sensuous pleasures of language” and “precise images with startling metaphors”.

Mackowski teaches at the University of Cincinnati and has been published in the Best American Poetry in both 2007 and 2009 as well as the Yale Review and the Kenyon Review. Her latest work is View from a Temporary Window which has been called “haunted by a sense of the body’s strangeness”. “Like origami unfolded upon your table, these poems reveal the blueprints of the universe.”

This is a free gathering! Partners Village Store & Kitchen, 865 Main Road in Westport, MA. For more information please call (508) 636-2572.

Thursday, July 29 - Summer Music Series at Sakonnet Vineyards, 162 West Main Road, Little Compton, RI. Thursdays in July and August. 6 – 8 p.m. $10 per car. Performance by Jack Jennings of Blues Train fame. The gift shop and Coop Café will be open. For more information call or click (800) 998-8486;  http://sakonnetwine.com/ 

 

Find out more about the above and other local area upcoming events. 

Click here for our complete weekly calendar!

 

Tips for healthy living.

 

A defective or non-functioning smoke alarm almost cost a young Westport woman her life in a recent July 4th Drift Road fire. The house burnt to the ground but the woman was saved by an alert Fire Chief. Protect yourself, your family and pets with proper smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Is your property safe? Click here to get all the details and state requirements for all age homes. Do it now.  PDF Large file, Please be patient.

 

16 tips you need to defend yourself against deer ticks and Lyme Disease for 2010.   Click here to get them now!

 

10 tips for living with coyotes in Westport. Click here to learn how.  PDF

 

08/28/2010 - Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) positive mosquito findings in New Bedford, Freetown and a widening swath through Southeastern Massachusetts.  Click here for more information and learn how to protect yourself from EEE.

 

Westport News!

 

Westport tweets from Grant Welker of the Herald News. twitter_logo_s.gif

 

07/29/2010 - Merger could be on tap for Westport water boards.  Committees organized to study the town’s waterways, stormwater and water systems could soon be revamped or combined as a way to increase productivity.
A group of committees — Estuaries, Ponds, Stormwater, and Water and Sewer — have separate but related functions. Each meets infrequently and none have made easily quantifiable progress. Private groups, including the Westport River Watershed Alliance and the Westport Fishermen’s Association, have similar missions.
  More.

 

07/29/2010 - Westport could investigate property's tax break status. The town has sufficient reasons to revoke a state farmland tax break known as Chapter 61A to a Route 177 property owner who has been given more than $20,000 in tax breaks over the years, according to an attorney for the town. More.

 

07/28/2010 - Committee to consider reopening Beach Avenue in Westport to public. A committee comprised of a range of town board members is being formed to look into reopening Beach Avenue to the public. The sandy road, which leads to a rocky point at the head of the Westport Harbor known as the Knubble, has been closed for a year.

Debate over Beach Avenue has centered around balancing public safety and public access.
The road was first closed at the suggestion of the police department and abutters, who said too many vehicles were getting stuck in the sand. The Land Conservation Trust said it wanted residents to enjoy its land but didn’t want cars on Beach Avenue.
   More.

 

07/28/2010 - Charter adding new HD channels next week.

Charter cable customers in Westport will receive 10 new high-definition channels beginning Monday, August. 2, the company announced.
The new HD channels are A&E, Cinemax, Disney, Food Network, Fox News, FX, HGTV, History Channel, TNT and USA Network. Charter also added four new high-definition channels on June 30 - CNN, Lifetime, Syfy and TMC.
 

 

07/22/2010 - Citizens-Union to set up shop in Westport. Plans have been approved for a new Citizens-Union Savings Bank in Central Village, to be built across the street from Lees Market.
The new Citizens-Union becomes the Fall River-based chain’s 10th location, in addition to four in Fall River and one each in New Bedford, Seekonk, Somerset, Swansea and Tiverton. It is also the third bank in Central Village, along with Sovereign Bank and Westport Federal Credit Union across the street. The land where the 3,400 square-foot bank will be built is owned by Lees Market owner Al Lees under the name Knock & Maize LLC. 
More.

 

07/21/2010 - Westport man survives being struck by lightning. Outside the equivalent of a bad sunburn on his back, James Gallant came away relatively unscathed after getting struck by lightning Monday afternoon. Gallant was working at Sylvan Nursery in Dartmouth when severe thunderstorms hit the SouthCoast. As Gallant attempted to seek cover, he and his truck were both struck by lightning. He fell to the ground and was not breathing.  More.

 

07/18/2010 - Restored Westport Lifesaving Station opens its doors. The old boat garage, once topped by a dormer and made into a residence, has been restored. The adjacent building, once a clam shack, among other things, has been gutted and its walls are now adorned by old fishing rods, lures and other gear.
The Westport Life Saving Station, at the entrance to Gooseberry Island, now stands as a reminder of the town’s seafaring past. 
More.

 

 

 

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Meet Mary Ellen Gomes

Director of the Westport Council of Aging.

 

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“They say that to everything there is a time and to everything there is a season.   This is the perfect time for me to come back home to Westport and again serve as Director of the Council on Aging.  To all of my old and dear friends, please stop by the Senior Center for a visit.  If we have never met, this is the perfect season to get to know each other.  The future looks exciting; and keep watching the Evergreen” for details about new programs and activities.  I hope to see your all soon.”                                            Mary Ellen Gomes

 

 

 

Westport Council of Aging

  Announcements 

 

COA Evergreen Monthly Newsletter – July 2010

Read latest newsletter now.

 

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July, 2010

Click here to view a schedule and hourly timetable of COA weekly events.

 

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WCOA_new_video.jpgWestport Council of Aging has a new video! Click here to see it now.

 

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“Food for Friends”The new food pantry sponsored by the Westport Council of Aging will be open every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. beginning on September 10, 2009. The food bank is located in the Senior Center on 75 Reed Road. It is available to Westport residents over the age of 18.

 

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Jun 25th 2008 Wednesday - First Time Ever House Tour at Westport Point. The Friends of the Westport Council on Aging sponsored this House Tour in the Historic District at Westport Point.

There were more than just a few rooms with a view for the over 300 visitors who toured Westport Point homes on the first ever Point House Tour sponsored by the Friends of the Council of Aging.

 

Read the full story with photos now!

 

 

 

Last week in Westport - Sunday, July 25, 2010

 

Reality TV comes to Lees.

There is always something cooking at Lees Market. In this case it’s a vegetable layer cake with Sicilian Crunch.

 

Serena Palumbo, a New York corporate attorney and former ballerina, taught herself how to prepare food with unusual ingredients while growing up southern Italy. Apparently she learned her lessons well as she’s now a finalist on the Food Network’s Next Star episode 6.

 

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She recently brought her culinary skills and a sparkling TV persona to a capacity crowd in the Lees’ Westport Cooks Room.  More.

 

Ecuadorian handmade gifts.

7/26/2010 - The Cultural Survival Bazaar was in Tiverton this weekend, doing a show, tell and sell of the arts and crafts made by indigenous peoples from all corners of the globe.

 

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But Westport had its own modest bit of Ecuador as lovely Natalia Lopez of Cuenca set up a mini bazaar at Costa’s veggie stand across the way from Ellie’s Place.

 

The Ecuadorian woman was the guest of local pastel artist Svetlana Rockwell.  More.

 

Westport Art Group launches their summer show and sale.

Runs through Sunday, August 1.

52 artists and eight craft exhibitors highlight WAG’s 54th annual Summer Show And Sale. The arty event features paintings by WAG and other local artists, plus handcrafts by local artisans. Crafts 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.

t20.jpgThe ubiquitous Raffle Wall is back! Don’t miss an inexpensive opportunity to own a little bit of artistic expression from our area’s leading artisans. Click here to read more and take a virtual tour.

 

 

 

Westport artists shine at Open Studio Tour!

 

Art lovers and fair goers will probably not often collide this weekend, but there is an innate artistry in organizing massive events like the Studio Tour and the Westport Fair. But if you are an aspiring artist, art lover, or just looking to explore the coastal villages’ rich and diverse artisan community, than this is your weekend! The Southcoast Artists Open Studio Tour 2010 will present the work of 66 local artisans in 45 locations from Westport, Dartmouth, Little Compton and Tiverton in their studio environments. To learn more about this exciting tour visit: http://www.southcoastartists.org/openStudio.html

 

Click here to get your Open Studio Tour 2010 brochure and map.

 

Download the schedule of artist demonstrations.

Drive the scenic back roads and byways through the beautiful coastal village towns of Tiverton & Little Compton, RI and Dartmouth & Westport, MA. Discover outstanding working studios and interact with some of New England’s finest artists. Engage in the creative process by attending scheduled demonstrations. This visual arts event provides the opportunity for art lovers of all ages to experience the diversity and quality of art created in our South Coast Artist communities.

 

7th Annual Summer Tour - 66 Exhibiting Artists - Meet the Artists - 45 Locations. Free Art Demonstrations - Local and Handmade Arts - Free & Open to the Public, All Ages Welcome.

 

Click here to read Fall River Herald article on 2010 Open Studio Tour.

 

If you missed the Open Studio Tour, don’t worry. A repeat performance is scheduled for the weekend of August 21.

 

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The end of an era.

In 1927 a group of volunteer firefighters founded the Westport Firefighters’ Association, leased a bit of land on Main Road from Mr. Woods, and built a fire station at no cost to the Town of Westport and its taxpayers.

 

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“Before the first fire house in 1928, Westporters used the bucket brigade’” recalled now deceased Calvin “Cal” Hopkinson. “But then a group of Westport volunteer firefighters put up a fire station in Central Village on a lot that old Charlie Wood leased to the town for as long as the land was used for fire prevention purposes,” Cal had said.

 

Those days of volunteerism and Yankee thrift are now ancient history, as Westport prepares to dedicate the largest public works project in Westport history, the new South End Fire Station No. 1. 

 

The 83-year-old wooden frame building that housed Westport’s first new fire engine has been retired, and the land returned to Mr. Wood’s son Jim. The fire apparatus was recently moved over to the new, state-of-the-art, taxpayer-funded fire station that is the envy of all surrounding towns. My how times have changed. 

 

Read more with photos. Final preparations and finishing touches are underway as Westport’s south end fire station gets dressed for its coming out party on July 30th.

 

Click here to view preview photos.

 

 

Hot, humid weather didn’t dampen spirits as tractors and entertainments pull them in at the Fair!

 

t12.jpg07/18/2010 - Families swarmed the fairgrounds throughout the weekend as better, though warmer, weather and the excitement of the carnival-like atmosphere brought in visitors like moths to a flame.

 

Soggy weather greeted the opening of the 55th annual Westport Fair as thousands traveled from surrounding towns to get to the Pine Hill Road fairgrounds. But Westport’s perennial agricultural fair will always be our fair, a standing testament to our roots and our heritage as a farming community.

 

Although the candied apples and fried dough aren’t bad either.

 

Whether you came for the tractors or the livestock, woodsmen or flower arrangement competition, chicken barbeque or magicians and escape artists, there was something for everyone at the Westport Fair. And don’t forget Rosie’s Pigs and Michael Higgins’ chainsaw artistry!

 

Hey, everyone loves this fair.

 

View Wednesday’s photo album of 2010 fair.   33 photos     |   Broadband/DSL speed   |

 

View Thursday’s photo album of 2010 fair.   28 photos     |   Broadband/DSL speed   |

 

View Friday’s photo album of 2010 fair.   31 photos     |   Broadband/DSL speed   |

 

View Saturday’s photo album of 2010 fair.   71 photos     |   Broadband/DSL speed   |

 

Click here to discover the little known history of the Westport Fair!

 

Visit the Westport Fair’s website.

 

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The baddest of the bad, Westport’s Group Therapy blows away the completion and takes home the gold in Saturday night’s super modified tractor pulling.

 

 

Stacy Goes at the Vineyard.

t11.jpg“In painting on this canvas, I pledge not to be afraid of being creative,” says the Westport artist. Judge for yourself her knowledge of light and

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composition by visiting her at the Westport Rivers Vineyard and Winery’s Art Gallery to see her latest traveling exhibition: “Elements of Nature in Colorful Illusions: Birds, Flowers, Earth, Wind, and Sea.”

 

Starts Wednesday, July 14 and runs through the 27th. Meet the artist on Friday, July 23rd. 417 Hixbridge Road, Westport.

 

 

Author Mary Murphy visits Partners.

07/15/2010 - Mary McDonagh Murphy, author of Scout, Atticus and Boo: A Celebration of Fifty Years t13.jpgof To Kill a Mockingbird, stopped by

 

Mary signs a book for Lynn Parker of Adamsville.

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Village Store to sign autographs for many area residents who came by to meet the well-known writer and film maker.

Journalist Murphy interviewed figures including Oprah Winfrey, Anna Quindlen, Tom Brokaw, and Dally Lamb for an upcoming documentary. Murphy’s book includes the best selections from these engaging and illuminating personal interviews about Harper Lee’s 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and the 1962 film starring Gregory Peck.

 

Murphy, a filmmaker, writer and former producer for CBS News, is a native of Providence who vacations in Westport.

 

Westport’s Mary Burns has a recital. 

06/21/2010 - Westport’s much loved piano and singing instructor, Mary Burns, held her annual recital Saturday, June 21 in the spacious lobby of the Sakonnet Bay Retirement Living in Tiverton to a capacity crowd of parents and guests.

 

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“I cherish these events,” Ms. Burns said. “It inspires my students and gives them a chance to play and receive compliments for their efforts.”

 

Ms. Burns has been holding these recitals since 1985, and has watched her students mature physically and musically over the years under her tutelage.  More with photos.

 

 

 

Heat and humidity take its toll in 30th running of LC Road Race.

 

t8.jpg21-year-old Chris Zablocki of Essex, Connecticut won the 30th anniversary running of the Little Compton Road Race with a time of 23:50, well off the record mark of 22:38 set by Dylan Wykes in 2007.

 

Threatening rain held off, saving the massive field of 582 participants further anguish in this already grueling annual 4.8 mile road race.

 

Richie Yeates of Providence was second at 23:58, and Williston, Vermont’s Tom Webb took third with a time of 24:14.

 

The first female finisher was sixth place finisher Katie DiCamillo, also of Providence, finishing at 26:58.

 

The Little Compton Church Fair & Road Race celebrated 50 years on the Commons, and what a celebration it was. Vendors’ cabanas lined the street and common area, and hundreds of people crowded the area around the United Congregational Church, enjoying the excitement, music and festivities of the carnival-like atmosphere.

 

The morning’s high temperatures and oppressive humidity stifled any run at a record-breaking pace, with many runners just happy to finish. Flushed faces and drenched jerseys were the order of the day.

 

17-year-old Ian Castanzo was Westport’s top dog, finishing ninth at 28:22. Drew Shilling, 43, rounded out the Westport runners in the race’s top 50.

 

Click here for all the results and view photos of the race and fair.

 

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“Ready, Set, Go!”

07/11/2010 – The opening of the annual Quakers’ book sale is a spectacle. Authors Robert Ludlum would call it “madness;” Harlequin’s Kathleen O’Reilly, “deliciously intoxicating;” and the Greek poet Homer, “an epic struggle of colossal proportion.” But whatever you call it the overwhelming crush of shoppers rushing the Friends’ book fair tents at the 11:00 o’clock bell is stunning. More.

 

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Is art alive and well in Westport?

Yes, and it’s selling briskly. Some of the area’s most talented artisans are now displaying quality paintings, sculptures, pottery and furniture that are sure to turt0.jpgn your head. Take a moment to stop in at the new

Central Village Art Gallery located in Village Commons, or take a virtual tour right now.

 

Left: Wayne Fuerst, master potter, of Sticks, Stones & Stars.

 

And if you want to know who the artists are, then you’re just going to have to visit the gallery. Read more with photos.

 

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07/12/2010 –Despite a 14% cut to their operating budget, the Westport Free Public Library, with a little help from their friends, held their first of many events scheduled for this summer.

 

 “We cut back the hours we’re open, but our summer programs will continue,” said Library Director Sue Branco.

 

And so they did with a fabulous magic show featuring the comedy and supernatural artistry of Scott Jameson.  Read more with photos.

 

t9.jpgNo hot dogs but great entertainment at the COA.

07/14/2010 - Speaking of magic, it was hard to explain the disappearance of the hot dogs and hamburgers at the Senior Center’s special picnic this week as an unexplained sleight of hand made them vanish. But the entertainment by Silver, Gold & Bronze kicked it up a notch when they had the seniors dancing in the aisles.  Read more with photos.

 

 

Westport in brief – Sunday, July 11, 2010

 

Town Farm garden doing just fine, thank you!

t12.jpgTown Farm manager Steve Connors reports that the garden is doing fine, growing well.  So far they have harvested 75 pounds of peas, and the zucchini and green beans are coming along now.  They have also harvested some beautiful lettuce and radishes and have delivered them to the Westport Senior Center.

They can use help with weeding and tending of the tomatoes, which are doing better this year.  No sign of the blight that ruined the crop last season.  It is very dry, and Steve has been going to the garden each evening to water.

They are now past the holiday weekend and hope volunteers and residents will come over and lend a hand. Steve will be at the Town Farm each day if anyone would like to help or even just take a look at how things are changing and growing!

 

Bristol County Sheriff Tom Hodgson visits with the ROMEOs.

07/08/2010 - Although up for reelection this year, the tough-minded jailhouse reformist has not yet declared his candidacy.

 

t14.jpg“That will be done in the near future,” Hodgson told the ROMEOs.

 

As of July 1st of this year the independent Bristol County Sherriff’s department has transferred under state jurisdiction along with the remaining six other county sheriffs who have long resisted the move.

 

The transfer will dramatically alter Hodgson’s efforts at fiscal reform, but has not changed his stance on tough love in his county jails.

Click here to read more.

 

ROMEOs to send two local youths this summer to Salvation Army’s Camp Wonderland.

07/08/2010 - For the second year in a row this socially active Westport group will send two underprivileged youths to summer camp. Read more.

 

Free Sopas for all!

07/11/2010 - The 78th annual Feast of the Holy Ghost was celebrated July 10 and 11 on the Holy Ghost Club’s Sodom Road grounds. There were free Sopas, cacoila, t19.jpgan auction, children’s games, raffles, and dancing in the main hall. A procession carrying the crown of the Holy Ghost took place Sunday noon.

 

Portuguese Sopas is a traditional festa soup where braise of beef and broth with vegetables is ladled over bread and garnished with mint.  Read more with photos.       

 

Lions Club has largest yard sale in recent memory.

07/11/2010 - Incoming Lions Club president t7.jpgSue DeCosta was a little surprised by the turnout Sunday morning. But she shouldn’t have been. “We had a lot of good items from a recent estate clearing,” she said. “We certainly have a lot more tables than in previous years.”  More.

 

 

Dramatic early-morning rescue saves woman from burning, smoke-filled house.

 

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Courageous firefighters save woman. House is a total loss.

 

07/04/2010 - Westport firefighter Dan Baldwin and Deputy Chief Allen Manley in a daring display of bravery entered a blazing, debris-filled house, and located and pulled 24-year-old Shannon Pearce from her first floor bedroom.

 

The bungalow-style home is ¾ of a mile south of the Head of Westport.

 

According to Barbara Steele, executive assistant to Fire Marshal Stephen Coan, the home was experiencing electrical problems prior to the fire.” She reported the fire was “most likely caused by an electrical problem, somewhere in the ceiling above the kitchen.”

 

“I was groggy from smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide,” Pearce said. “I just did what they told me to do and let them drag me out.” Emergency personnel put her on oxygen and later transported the young woman to Charlton Memorial Hospital where she was treated and released a few hours later.

 

Because of zero-visibility conditions firefighters had to use a thermal imaging device that detects body heat to assist in searching for any possible victims that may be trapped in a burning structure. They found the sleeping woman.

 

“All seven pets in the house had succumbed to smoke inhalation and were dead,” Fire Chief Brian Legendre said. “Shannon is a very lucky girl.”

 

In an astonishing and miraculous chain of events, Legendre was driving by 202 Drift Road around 8:25 a.m. Sunday morning when he spotted smoke coming from the second floor attic window.  Read more with photos.

 

Burdensome state requirements overtax Town Clerks.

 

07/09/2010 - Already under pressure from reduced hours and tight budgets, as of July 1, Massachusetts Town Clerks will have to post committee meeting notices 48 hours in advance, and the notices must be available to the general public 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

 

In addition, the notices must include a fairly detailed agenda for the meetings.

 

“I don’t understand the requirement,” said Westport Town Clerk Marlene Samson. t11.jpg“We already have the meeting notices posted in the Town Clerk’s office, and on the Town’s website as well as in several newspapers.” 

 

 (EverythingWestport.com has been updating town meeting notices two to three times per week on its website for the past three years. Click here to view town notices.)

 

To further complicate the cumbersome requirement is that the notices must adhere to the Americans with Disabilities Act. "We were thinking of posting the notices on the inside glass of the front doors,” Samson said. “But that would have required town residents to climb the front steps.”

 

Sampson with the help of others cleverly installed a swing-out bulletin board behind the Town Hall’s southeast rear entranceway’s sidelight window. That is the access way to the building’s elevator.

 

Samson created a special form to be filled out by meeting organizers. These notices will be posted at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting.

 

Samson remarked that it’s simply “another mandate by the state without thinking through the additional work it’ll put on the town clerks.”

 

Unlike some of the other town offices, the Town Clerk’s office is open 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

 

“Are people going to be coming by at two in the morning to read a notice,” Samson asked?

 

Read more about the requirements.

 

 

Westport goes fourth with a Parade!

 

Almost a victim of budget cuts, the on-again, off-again, and finally on-again July 4th parade found its mojo as fiery red fire engines, fast cars and even faster-talking politicians hit the Main Road pavement in one of the longest parades in recent memory. Community donations and fundraisers came up with the needed cash to save the decades-old perennial Westport favorite The on-again, off-again, finally on-again parade is on for Monday, July 5th. This year the parade will start sharply at 10 a.m. when it steps off at Main and Hixbridge Road. From there it travels north on Main Road then left onto Charlotte White Road. At the end of Charlotte White, the parade turns right onto Sodom Road ending at the Holy Ghost Grounds.

 

Far left: Westport’s July 4th parade will march past the Central Village fire station for the last time as the 82 year-old fire house will be shuttered July 30th forever.

 

 

The Westport Permanent Firefighters Local 1802 is sponsoring a Chicken BBQ at the Holy Ghost Club on Sodom Road, Westport. Featuring live music from the group Better Daze. The BBQ starts serving following the 4th of July parade. Tickets are $12 and are available at either Fire Station. (Briggs Road or Central Village.)

 

      

 

 

Leaping into summer!

A water skier jumps his board on the first day of summer over a mooring ball in the Westport River, sharpening his skills for the hot weather ahead. Summer Solstice is the year’s longest day of sunlight.

 

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Westport in brief – Sunday, June 20, 2010

 

Westport’s oldest newspaper revealed in Historical Society find.

1895 weekly newspaper may be ancient ancestor to today’s weeklies, Westport Shorelines and Dartmouth/Westport Chronicle. Only known copy.  Read more.

 

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Artists in the Gardens 2010

Some of the southcoast’s best known artists went on location and painted charming backyard scenes from several homes in that part of Westport known as Acoaxet. For the cost of a ticket, visitors were treated to Harbor hospitality and got to ogle hardscapes and seascapes at their best.  Read more.

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The second time around is always better.

The Vineyard’s second annual provender and wine festival brought the best of Westport to Westport with fun, food and festivity raising money to benefit local agriculture.  Gary Duquette, One Bad Ant, played the blues, folk, classic and soft rock favorites.  Read more.

 

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Westport selectmen honor WWII veteran Leo St. Onge.

In a brief but emotional ceremony at the June 14 Board of Selectmen’s meeting, Westport’s most decorated veteran’s recent promotion to Sergeant was recognized and celebrated by a packed room of Westport officials and residents.

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Turning 89 this Saturday, the choked-up war hero could barely manage to thank those who applauded him. The promotion spanned six wars and 66 years. Read more w/ photos.

 

In additional business, the Selectmen voted unanimously to restore the Senior Center’s transportation budget level to $70,000, fulfilling a promise made before town meeting. More.

 

Selectmen also unanimously approved the promotion of widely respected Chris Gonsalves to Foreman, Highway Department.  More.

 

Expired safety seats are no bargain.

Expired safety seats are no bargain says Westport safety officials at the recent Westport Family Medicine Center’s Bike And Car Seat Safety Day.  Read more.

 

“Plus, bicycle helmet use can reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 88%,” according to Westport Reserve Officer Michael Roussel, who has spearheaded the Safety Day effort for the last three years. “That’s why our officers are giving out free helmets and providing instruction in the proper adjustment and use.”

 

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Westport Historical Society opens “Head 2 Toe” summer exhibition.

“Head to Toe: A Century of Westport Fashion 1800-1900” explores the transformation of women’s fashion during the 1800’s. Opened Saturday, June 12 at the Bell Schoolhouse, 25 Drift Road.

Click here to view their flyer.

Read more with photos.

 

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Above: Curator Blair Walker’s daughter, Kate Walker (right) and daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Vigil Walker, share a laugh at the impossibly tight corset and cumbersome hoop squirt worn by 19th century women.

 

“The wedding dress is dark brown, and it was worn long after the wedding day. The corsets are impossibly tight, the shoes barely have soles, and the “bathing costume” is nothing like what a woman would wear to the beach these days.”   Read more from the Fall River Herald News.

 

Westport in brief – June 13, 2010

 

Chicken Barbeque/Auction following the Westport Fourth of July Parade being held on July 5th

Tickets are available for a Chicken BBQ which will take place at the Holy Ghost Grounds on Sodom Road following the Parade on July 5th, around 12:30 p.m.

 

There will be live music by the band "Better Daze” and events for kids. Tickets are $12 each, and can be purchased at either Westport Fire Station or through any Westport Firefighter you might know. Please purchase soon so they can plan accordingly. They have 250 tickets available at this time.

 

There will also be an auction held to raise funds for future parades.  If you own or know anyone that runs a business (landscaping and so on) that would be willing to auction off an hour of grass cutting or free load of mulch, or a gift certificate to their business, please notify Lt. Ledoux now at (774) 264 5191.

 

Wha’ SUP at Hix Bridge?

40 year-old Mike Simpson knows a thing or two about water boarding. The Osprey Sea Kayak employee with the Johnny Weissmuller physique isn’t involved with interrogations, not unless you call paddling, standing upright, on a surfboard for six miles, torture.

 

t7.jpgSimpson joined 63 paddlers of all kinds in the 7th annual River Run Race sponsored by the Westport River Watershed Alliance and Osprey Sea Kayak Adventures on June 12, and lapped the field, finishing first under cloudy but dry skies. Read more with race photos.

 

Friday Night Lights, Whites and Westport Brut at the Vineyard.

If award-winning wines, gourmet apps, stunning sunsets and the R&B of Kenny Richards and friends are your idea of an idyllic TGIF night out, than hustle on down to the Westport Rivers Vineyard and Winery.

 

The tradition continues as the tremendously popular Sunset Music Series returns July 2nd to Westport’s cultural hot spot under the setting sun. Come early to get a spot. Get this year’s schedule now.

Read more with photos from last year.

 

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Click here for previous “goings on” in Westport.

 

 

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Want to read about past events in Westport?

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Click here to read about last week’s events and more!

 

Get up-to-date with recent news stories and photos you may have missed.

 

 

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Local area organizations’ newsletters now on-line!

 

 

The Westport Land Trust’s events newsletter for Summer/Fall 2010 is now available.

 

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Read Events Newsletter now.

 

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Monthly newsletter is now available on-line.

 

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July/August 2010 issue now out.

 

Read Newsletter now.

 

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The Westport River Watershed Alliance’s bi-monthly newsletter RIVER NEWS is now available.

 

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The May/June 2010 issue is now on-line. Read newsletter now.

 

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The Westport Historical Society winter 2009/2010 Harbinger newsletter now available on-line.   

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Review Harbinger past issues.

 

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Now in color!

 

 

The Westport Council on Aging’s monthly newsletter EVERGREEN is now available.

 

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The July, 2010 issue is now on-line.

Read newsletter now.

 

 

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Read Allens Pond Sanctuary Monthly E-News 

March 2010 E-News now available!

 

Read Allens Pond Sanctuary quarterly newsletter (large file; be patient!) Fall/Winter 2009 issue now available!

 

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Be sure to visit these informative and fascinating pages of EverythingWestport.com!

 

 

Photo Essays of Westport

Hundreds of high-quality digital images illustrating the rural culture and beauty of Westport; its rivers, shores and picturesque landscapes. Go there now!

 

 

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View Upcoming Event Calendar

Get up-to-the minute announcements of the when, where and whys of local social business events. Go there now!

 

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Local Theater and the Arts

 

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Click here for all local Theater and Arts events this week!

 

 

Conservation-Land Walking Tours in and around Westport

Explore Westport one step at a time!    Coming Soon!

 

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