Community James Bairaktaris Community James Bairaktaris

Packed

Compo Beach was packed this afternoon with beach chairs, umbrellas, and bathing suits as the unofficial beginning to Summer could be felt by the community.

Compo Beach was packed this afternoon with beach chairs, umbrellas, and bathing suits as the unofficial beginning to Summer could be felt by the community.

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Community, Good News Only James Bairaktaris Community, Good News Only James Bairaktaris

Wednesday Sailing Regattas Begin for the Season

Hound Dog of Ridgefield, Connecticut glides towards the C marker in this evening’s sailing regatta, about one half mile off of the coast of Compo Beach. 
Hound Dog of Ridgefield, Connecticut glides towards the C marker in this evening’s sailing regatta, about one half mile off of the coast of Compo Beach.

One of Westport’s most unique and competitive traditions returned tonight as dozens of sailboats motored out of the harbor into the Sound for the Wednesday night sailing regatta. .

Each Wednesday night the boats from local yacht clubs, such as Cedar Point Yacht Club and Saugatuck Harbor Yacht Club, gather off of Compo Beach for a friendly regatta - racing each other until sunset with crews of their friends and family. The boats are privately owned, with the committee boat being operated by Cedar Point Yacht Club.

Tonight’s races started off with calm winds and flat seas, however towards sunset - the winds picked up and created a moderate chop, leading to an exciting end to the first race of the season.

The clubs welcome members of the community to join their crews or participate in the Wednesday night regattas. Those interested should reach out to the Cedar Point Yacht Club, or the Saugatuck Harbor Yacht Club.

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Community James Bairaktaris Community James Bairaktaris

206 Years of Holding Back Lee’s Pond 

Photo & Research by Preston Siroka.
Lee’s Pond sat sun-drenched this afternoon, ready for the next generation of Camp Mahackeno kids.

Built in 1815 to assist in powering the Richmondville Mill, the Lee’s Pond dam was gushing this afternoon as springtime swelling of local waterways added to the pond’s volume. The dam powered the Richmondville mill’s cotton yarn machinery until 1842, when the dam failed and stopped work. In 1844 “John Lees and John Dryden rebuilt it and started Lees Manufacturing Co.” according to Preservation Connecticut. The dam was operational until 1950 when the mill closed down; the pond and the dam were purchased by two locals, who later sold the property to the Westport-Weston YMCA in 1975.

With the new millenium came scrutiny from the US Army Corps of Engineers, which lead to later renovations thanks to a $30,000 FEMA grant applied for by the Westport Fire Department and a $90,000 investment by the YMCA, according to the New York Times. The new dam featured terracing and a fishway to allow migratory fish the ability to swim upstream, as well as an updated sluice gate to release pressure during storms, and an eel pass for the migration of American eels.

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