Heading Home past Compo Hill
Teenagers head home tonight after an evening of tubing, passing by the Compo Hill homes tiered above Hillspoint Road and Old Mill Beach. WestportLocal.com photo
Volunteers Needed for Sherwood Island Beach Clean-up Monday
Maritime Aquarium, CT Sea Grant ReleaseHelp give Long Island Sound that extra little sparkle by joining a beach clean-up on Mon., Aug. 16 at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport.
The clean-up is from 10 a.m. to noon. Bags and gloves will be provided. Volunteers should bring their own water, and meet at the pavilion near the main beach parking lot.
Monday’s clean-up launches the fifth annual #DontTrashLISound campaign led by the Connecticut Sea Grant program, with support from Save the Sound, The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk and other groups.
This year’s #DontTrashLISound campaign, run by the Connecticut and New York Sea Grant programs with support from the Long Island Sound Study, continues through International Coastal Cleanup Day on Sept. 18. There will be clean-up events in both states, social media posts and giveaways of “Protect Our Wildlife” stickers for reusable water bottles and travel mugs.
The theme of this year’s campaign, #DoOneThing, encourages people to take at least one action to reduce litter on streets, parks and beaches before it gets carried into waterways and ultimately Long Island Sound.
“Campaigns like this one help keep people aware of the larger marine debris problem affecting Long Island Sound,” said Nancy Balcom, associate director of Connecticut Sea Grant. “They also help people focus on doable actions that we can all undertake with as much or as little effort as we have time to commit.”
See the full schedule of clean-ups in Connecticut this fall – and sign up – at www.savethesound.org/2021cleanup.
For more details on the #DontTrashLISound campaign, contact Judy Benson of CT Sea Grant at judy.benson@uconn.edu.
DREAM: 196’ Superyacht Joins Westport’s Summer of über Luxury Vessel Visits, Tops List as Largest Boat (so far)
All photos by WestportLocal.com
The third in a series of superyachts anchored in Westport, DREAM - 57m/196ft long - was spotted between Cockenoe Reef and Compo Beach yesterday afternoon. The vessel was built in 2001 by Abeking & Rasmussen out of Germany, and is registered to the Marshall Islands.
Originally called Excellence III prior to a 2017 refitting, the vessel and its 15 person crew can be chartered for $420,000 per week, and is typically visiting ports-of-call such as Antigua, the US Virgin Islands, and Saint Martin. Amenities for its 12 possible guests include two tender vessels, a water slide, and waverunners. Only in Westport for two days, the vessel left the community’s waters last night for East Hampton, New York.
Earlier this summer - the Rosehearty, a 183’ sailing yacht - and the 123 foot long motor yacht Temptation both called Westport home for several evenings as the uber luxury guests make Westport a yachting destination for Summer 2021.
Easton Volunteer Fireman’s Carnival Celebrates 80 Years, Ends Tomorrow
Open from 6:00 - 11:00 tonight and tomorrow night, the Easton Volunteer Fireman’s Carnival returned this year with the classic sites and sounds of a traditional country fair filling the warm night air - just as it has for 80 years, and generations of community members. (click to read more and see full photo gallery on WestportLocal.com)
The carnival, with amusement park rides from Stewart Amusement and games and food from volunteers, raises funds for the rural fire company’s operations. The carnival has been well known for its thrills, homemade dinner and desserts, deep fried oreos, and cash bingo tent for generations - and was packed Thursday night with families and teens enjoying the warm country air. With gaggles of teenagers roaming the grounds with burgers and fries in-hand, and small children patiently waiting their turn at stepping onto their next ride - the quiet Center Road triangle was alive with excitement.
Personnel working at the event said that Tuesday’s opening-night ticket lines were as long as they could have ever remembered, with many families returning to this summer tradition after their 2020 hiatus due to COVID-19 concerns. Although outdoors, many families and volunteers opted to wear a mask in light of the rise in COVID-19 cases in the region - with all food and game tents remaining open-air.
Westporters can easily find the fairground by driving up Route 136 (Easton Road), then turning right onto Center Road, left onto Adams Road, and then another right onto Sport Hill Road - a serene drive through the forest until the ferris wheel lights draw one’s attention. The carnival is located at 1 Center Road, with parking available at Silverman’s Farms, Helen Keller Middle School, and surrounding the Easton Village Store. A shuttle bus is available to those parking at the middle school, with drop off directly at the fairgrounds.
Volunteers recommend visitors bring cash for purchasing ride tickets or wristbands, as well as to purchase dinner, desserts, or to join the bingo tent. With rides for both young children and teenagers, and games for all ages - the carnival has been a tradition for many area families, all while supporting the volunteer firefighter’s mission. More information and live updates can be found at their Facebook page. More information on supporting the Easton Volunteer Fire Company can be found on their website.