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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.
 07/27/2010 - 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.
 07/13/2010 – 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
 07/11/2010 - 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.
 07/17/2010 – 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!
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Community Bulletin Board
 06/28/2010 - 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
 06/25/2010 - 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  books 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.
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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
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Monday,
July 26 - Proulx at Whites. 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.
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
 Thursday, 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. 
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.
“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
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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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 Westport
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!
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Last
week in Westport
- Sunday, July 25, 2010
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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.
She recently brought
her culinary skills and a sparkling TV persona to a capacity crowd in the
Lees’ Westport Cooks Room. More.
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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.
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.
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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.
 The 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.
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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.
“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.
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Hot, humid weather didn’t dampen
spirits as tractors and entertainments pull them in at the Fair!
 07/18/2010 - 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.
   
  
  
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.
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Stacy Goes at the Vineyard.
 “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
+enlarge
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  of
To Kill a Mockingbird,
stopped by
Mary signs a book for Lynn Parker of Adamsville.
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Partners
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.
“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.
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Heat and humidity take its toll in
30th running of LC Road Race.
 21-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.
 
“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 tur n 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.
 Library kicks off summer season of events.
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.
 No 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.
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Westport
in brief –
Sunday, July 11, 2010
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Town Farm garden doing just fine,
thank you!
 Town 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!
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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.
 “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.
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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,  an 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  Sue 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.
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Dramatic early-morning rescue saves woman from burning, smoke-filled
house.
+enlarge Lucy Tabit for EverythingWestport.com
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.
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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.  “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.
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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.)
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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
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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.
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.
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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.
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Westport
in brief – June 13, 2010
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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.
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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.
 Simpson 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.
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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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