Compo Guards Remain Steadfast through 100 Degree Heat
A Compo Beach lifeguard watches over the waterfront this afternoon after a day when temperatures soared into the nineties, with the heat index making the midday air feel nearer to 105 degrees. Although clear and calm skies and water were present along the coast, the beachfront was sparse as many remained indoors or in the water. WestportLocal.com photo
Hanging Out with Cedar Point’s Gemini Crew
The crew of Gemini relaxed with light winds and calm waters this evening during the Wednesday night sailing regatta off of Compo Beach. Dozens of boats participated in the weekly tradition for the cruising class from various local yacht clubs. WestportLocal.com photo
Saturday Skate
Westporter Brian Greenspan, UConn Freshman, takes flight at the Compo Beach Skate Park this afternoon. WestportLocal.com photo
New Neighbors: “Local to Market” brings Local Groceries Back to Main Street; Open until 2 Today
Rita and Chris Marcocci in front of their new store, Local to Market, during today’s Farm Stand. Anna Aron, of Little Bits Pottery, displays her work during today’s farm stand. A Staples Class of 2013 graduate, Aron attributes her passion and skill to the SHS pottery and sculpture teacher Jaclyn Jeselnik - who helped give her a “home” in the pottery room while a student. With Connecticut farmers and artisans standing with them, Westporters Chris and Rita Marcocci are bringing local love back to 177 Main Street with their new shop: Local to Market. The shop will focus on items made, grown, or produced in Connecticut - with a portion of their profits going towards local charities. Open until 2:00 today as a farm stand, they expect to be fully open within the next three weeks - bringing Groceries back to Downtown.
Located in the historic Remarkable Book Shop storefront, the Marcoccis - with local artisans and farmers - are celebrating their arrival to the community with a weekend Farm Stand, planned for every weekend at the corner of lower Main Street. The farm stand includes locally grown produce and fruits, locally sourced milk, and products created by Westport artists.
Envisioned as place where downtown neighbors and merchants can stop for groceries on their way home, or for downtown shoppers to enjoy some of the local artwork and wares, “We’re bringing groceries and locally made items back to downtown” Chris described.
Peter Stack and Jen Cozak, both of Fairfield, displayed Easton’s Silverman’s Farms produce and fresh donuts along with other locally sourced items, such as milk and local corn. “Everything needs to come from Connecticut” Chris continued as he spoke about the items they’ll be displaying. Chris and his wife Rita live in Westport, with Chris owning another locally owned business, StreetMarc marketing. The pair saw the need to continue this past year’s push to support local - turning it into their mission.
That mission: Eat Well, Live Well, Do Well. They’ll support it by carrying it throughout the shop as they feature local foods, arts, and even music seven days per week. When describing the “Do Well” mission, Chris continued: “A portion of all profits will go towards local charities, back into the community.”
Local to Market is located at 177 Main Street and is planning to open fully within the next three weeks. For now, the Marcoccis plan to have farm stands, like today’s, on the weekends from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM.
News 12: Westporter Seeks, Finds Owner of $500 Cash Gift
Westport woman goes on hunt to return $500 to rightful owner
News 12 Connecticut Staff, July 26th, 2021
A woman from Westport decided to return a card found on the ground with $500 inside to its rightful owner.
Gabrielle Perry, 23, was headed to dinner with friends in South Norwalk when she found the card in the parking lot of the Maritime Aquarium on July 10.
“I see there's an envelope on the ground…it said Reverend Dennis on the outside,” says Perry. “The outside said ‘Thank you for marrying us’ and then the inside was a really sweet, heartfelt note to the reverend and it seemed like they knew each other for a really long time.”
Perry tells News 12 the card had no last names. Only “From Christina and Dave.”
“That's when I contacted my friend's mom who's good at searching for people online,” said Perry.
The friend’s mother Google searched "Christina and David wedding Connecticut,” and one of the first hits brought her to the registries for a Christina Ulreich and David Kean. From there, she found Ulreich through LinkedIn and her job.
“I got married on July 11 and it was a beautiful day,” says Chrisitna Ulreich-Kean. “The thing that dampened the morning was when I found out that the gift we had given our reverend who was performing the ceremony had been lost the night before at our rehearsal dinner.”
The dinner was at The Spread in South Norwalk.
Ulreich-Kean figured the gift was gone and focused on enjoying her big day with friends and family.
That night, after the wedding Ulreich-Kean got an email which said: “I hope this is the Christina of Christina and David that are getting married on July 11. We're desperately trying to find the owners of the card. Please let us know if that was you.”
A shocked Ulreich-Kean and her new husband met up with Perry the next day and returned the card to the reverend.
“It was incredible that she even saw the cash and wanted to return it…That they went to so much trouble to find us was just really incredible,” says Ulreich-Kean.
Designer, Westporter Christian Siriano Hosts Art Show at Downtown Boutique
Fashion designer and Westporter Christian Siriano (left) spoke with Westport Second Selectwomen Jen Tooker (right) as he hosted an art show at 9 Sconset Square’s Swoon home furnishing boutique. Siriano is a recent addition to Westport, moving to the community just prior to the pandemic lockdowns in February 2020. Siriano grew to international fame after winning Project Runway’s fourth series, now designing for international community members - like Michelle Obama or Lady Gaga - in addition to interiors and home furnishings. His art show today displayed another artistic side of the designer, with his large paintings and sketches filling the downtown Westport storefront as an intimate crowd stood amongst them. To learn more about Siriano and his art, visit christiansiriano.com. WestportLocal.com photo
Our Woven Community Sells Handmade Accessories while Supporting Refugee Artists
Artists with Our Woven Community speak with customers at the Wakeman Town Farm Sustainable Goods Market this afternoon. The Bridgeport-based Burroughs Center, who organizes the program, describes it as “a Burroughs program that provides local resettled refugee women the opportunity to become self-sufficient leaders and become empowered with entrepreneurial skills and economic opportunity.” Handmade goods included purses, laptop cases, wallets, and clothing items - with 100% of the sales going to the artists and program expenses. More information or goods can be found at their website: burroughscenter.org. WestportLocal.com photo
Ice Cream Float: Cockenoe Island Ice Cream Boat Sails Again for Summer 2021
Fairfield residents Tobey Sappern, Matt McManus, and Jon Morris float through Cockenoe Island Lagoon as hands and shouts of boats anchored nearby hail the floating ice cream barge for a frozen treat. The boys pilot their center console with on-board ice cream storage through the lagoon each weekend; grabbing an ice cream quickly becoming a newly found tradition for many of the families enjoying the island. WestportLocal.com photo
Writer Recounts Racing in the Flying Scot North American Championships in Westport over Weekend
Photo by Art Petrosemolo for The Daily News of Newburyport. As I See It: Fear conquered in the waves
The Daily News of Newburyport | by Marilyn Archibald
“Big wave, big wave, BIG WAVE!”
It was our second day of sailing in the Flying Scot North American Championships in Westport, Connecticut. I had been told that the worst problem with sailing in Long Island Sound during July is usually a lack of wind. Instead, we had stormy, gray skies, 18-knot winds with gusts to 25, and 4-foot seas.
These conditions were unlike anything I had ever encountered. Heading straight into the waves, our 19-foot boat Talk like a Pirate rose and fell with stomach-churning slams. Going sideways to them heeled us over dangerously. In either direction, bucketloads of water drenched us to the skin almost continuously.
Heading out of the harbor, things hadn’t seemed so bad, but the minute we hit open water the real conditions became apparent. Any mistake could result in immediate capsize, a broken boom, collision with another boat, or one of us being flung out of the cockpit into the water.
“I don’t know if I can do this!” I shouted to my husband, David, gripping the jib and shroud lines like grim death.
“Try it! Just one race! You can do this!” he shouted back.
“Nooo,” I moaned, sobbing slightly. Then, I gave myself a mental shake. The truth was, I wasn’t afraid. I trusted my skipper. And if I didn’t do my job as crew to the absolute best of my ability, using everything I had learned over the last 10 years of sailing, I would put us both in real danger. My husband needed me, I needed him, and together we could do this.
So I hung on, moving from one side of the boat to the other as we tacked, yelling back when the waves in front of us looked like something out of The Perfect Storm.
Sailboat races have both upwind and downwind sections, called legs, and while sailing upwind right now was absolutely savage, sailing downwind — while seeming less scary — was actually more dangerous. The waves can push the boat faster than the actual wind speed and cause the front, or bow, of the boat, to be pushed under the water, causing the rudder to come up and control to be lost.
“Get back, get back!” David shouted, as we surfed down one enormous wave after another, and water cascaded over the front of the boat. I scrambled aft and the bow came back up. We finished the race and wave by wave, made it back to the harbor like a rocket ship, soaked, battered and for me at least, utterly exhilarated.
The two days of sailing that followed could not have been more different — nearly flat seas, and so little wind that most boats were towed in and out of the race course like baby ducks in a line. But these light wind conditions, which require the extreme patience that Skipper David has in abundance, favored our skills. We won second place out of more than 20 boats in our division on both days.
I’m a better sailor today than I was a week ago. I’m unlikely to see those extreme conditions again soon, but now I know I can handle them. Doing scary things is hard, but it’s how we grow stronger, as sailors, and as people.
Marilyn Archibald lives in West Newbury and sails with her husband, David, out of Sandy Bay Yacht Club, Rockport, Massachusetts.
Westport Republican Town Committee Endorses Jen Tooker for Selectman Seat; Other Endorsements Announced
Back (L-R): Jack Whittle, Andrea Moore, Joe Sledge, Dorie Hordon; Front (L-R): Robert Harrington, Jen Tooker, Michael Keller, Karen Kleine. Contributed photo. Westport RTC Press ReleaseThe members of the Westport Republican Town Committee met last night to officially endorse Republican candidates for this November’s municipal elections. Among those receiving the unanimous endorsement of the Westport Republican Party are: Current Westport Second Selectwoman Jen Tooker for First Selectman; Westport Board of Finance Vice Chairwoman Andrea Moore for Second Selectman; Robert Harrington, Dorie Hordon and current Board of Education Vice Chair Karen Kleine for Board of Education, Michael Keller for Board of Finance; former Westport Planning and Zoning Commission member Jack Whittle for Planning and Zoning Commission; and Current Board of Assessment Appeals member Joe Sledge for re-election to the Board of Assessment Appeals.
“We are absolutely delighted with our strong slate of candidates led by our current Second Selectwoman, Jen Tooker,” noted RTC Nominating Committee Chair Jim Foster. “With principled, experienced leaders like Jen Tooker and Andrea Moore on the Board of Selectmen; Karen Kleine’s, Robert Harrington’s and Dorie Hordon’s passionate advocacy for our school community on the Board of Education, the excellent addition of Michael Keller to the Board of Finance, Jack Whittle’s unparalleled expertise on the Planning and Zoning Commission, and Joe Sledge’s knowledge and thoughtfulness on the Zoning Board of Appeals, I am convinced Westport’s future will remain bright. Our candidates understand the challenges and opportunities facing Westport, and they are the best prepared, most qualified public servants to lead us forward.”
Click Here to Expand Information About the Candidates:
BOARD OF SELECTMEN
JEN TOOKER – Candidate for First Selectman
Jennifer Tooker is the current Second Selectwoman of Westport, a position she has held since her election in 2017. She has previously served as a member of the Westport Board of Finance, the Westport Board of Education, and the Westport Conservation Commission. As Second Selectwoman, Jennifer has worked on several key initiatives. She launched Westport Together, an alliance between the Town, Westport Public Schools and local non-profits to promote the positive development of our youth. Jennifer also created and hosts Westport Means Business - a series of events that brings together local business owners and entrepreneurs to establish connections, exchange ideas and promote Westport as the best town in which to start and grow a successful business. Most recently, in response to the COVID-19 crisis, First Selectman Jim Marpe appointed Jennifer as Chair of the ReOpen Westport Advisory Team in May 2020. This team is tasked with helping Westport businesses open and operate safely during the global pandemic. Prior to her public service, Jennifer had a 22-year career as an executive with Gen Re, during which time she held various leadership and management positions in the U.S. and European reinsurance markets. Jennifer received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and International Studies from the University of Notre Dame. She is married to Mo Tooker and they have three children; Jack, Riley and Nicole.
ANDREA MOORE – Candidate for Second Selectman
Andrea Moore is the current Vice Chairwoman of the Westport Board of Finance. She was elected to the Board in 2017 and was selected by her fellow Board members as Vice Chair in 2019. She also serves on the Board of Finance’s Audit subcommittee. Prior to this, Andrea was an elected member of Westport’s Representative Town Meeting (RTM), representing District 9 and served on several key committees, including the Education, Public Protection, and the Library and Museum Committees. Andrea has had a 15+ year career in the financial services industry, holding positions in institutional equity sales, equity research and investment banking with some of the world’s leading firms, including UBS, BT Deutsche Bank and Salomon Brothers. She is also an active volunteer in the community and has served on the boards of several local non-profit organizations, including Staples Tuition Grants, the Saugatuck Elementary PTA, the Westport Weston Family YMCA, and the National Charity League, Westport Chapter. Andrea is a life long Westporter and a Staples High School graduate. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the School of Management at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She is married to Dave Moore and has three daughters; Tessa, Janna and Ella.
BOARD OF EDUCATION
KAREN KLEINE
Karen Kleine grew up in CT and has lived in Westport for over 20 years. Her three children all attended Westport Public Schools. Karen has served on the Westport Board of Education for eight years and is currently Vice Chair of the Board, Chair of the Policy Committee, a member of the Finance and Facilities Committee and holds regional BOE positions with CABE (the CT BOE) and Cooperative Educational Services, where we send some of our students who cannot learn in a traditional learning environment. In addition to the BOE, Karen is President of the Westport Women's Club and serves on the Board of the Friends of the Senior Center. Past Board positions include TEAM Westport and ABC.
ROBERT HARRINGTON
Robert Harrington has lived in Westport for more than 10 years. He is married to Claire Harrington and has four children including a Staples High School graduate and three daughters currently attending Staples. Robert has worked in finance for over 20 years in London, Geneva and New York, focusing on technology. He has been an active member of the Westport community and a vocal campaigner for protecting the Westport Public Schools budget, fully restoring Coleytown Middle School during the mold crisis, and advocating for COVID-19 vaccinations for Westport’s teachers. Born in the U.K., Robert recently became a U.S. citizen.
DORIE HORDON
Dorie Hordon has served on the Westport PTA for many years and just completed her tenure as PTA Council Co-President. She was previously President of the Bedford Middle School PTA and a member of the Executive Board at Greens Farms Elementary. She has a professional background as an educator, having taught in the lower school of the Spence School in New York for six years. She currently works as a local coordinator for Cultural Care, where she helps place and manage au pairs from foreign countries with area families. She is also an active volunteer as a member of Temple Israel. Prior to entering education, Dorie held various roles over the course of several years at JPMorgan Chase. Dorie has a Master’s in Education from Bank Street College and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the College of Wooster. She has lived in Westport for 14 years with her husband Rob and their three sons. Theo and Nate are both students at Staples, and Josh attends Greens Farms Elementary.
BOARD OF FINANCE
MICHAEL KELLER
Mike Keller is a partner with the Boston based law firm of Morrison Mahoney LLP and leads their Bridgeport office with a focus on civil litigation defense. Mike attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio for his undergraduate degree in political science before continuing directly to law school on a full academic scholarship at Widener University School of Law in Delaware. After law school, he and his now wife, Courtney, lived in Philadelphia and then Boston, but traveled to Westport often to visit family and fell in love with the town. In 2015, they moved to Westport to start a family of their own. Their oldest son is a rising third grader at Coleytown Elementary School, and his younger brother is starting kindergarten at CES in the fall.
PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION
JACK WHITTLE
Jack Whittle grew up in Westport attending Westport schools, and after graduating Staples High School in 1981, he went on college at the University of Colorado (BA in Political Science, 1985) and then law school at Syracuse University (JD, 1988). He began his career in law as a litigator at the Wilson Elser law firm in New York City and continued to practice in that area at Mudge Rose before shifting focus to M&A and regulatory work in the insurance area at the New York City offices of LeBoeuf Lamb. Since 2009, Jack has worked at Odyssey Re in Stamford, CT where he is Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel. Jack and his wife Corrine have raised their family in Westport, with the last of their children graduating from Staples in 2021. Jack previously served on the Planning & Zoning Commission for five years, being elected in 2011 along with Chip Stephens, Cathy Walsh and Al Gratrix and then reelected in 2015.
BOARD OF ASSESSMENT APPEALS
JOE SLEDGE
Joseph Sledge is currently the Chair of the Westport Republican Town Committee, a position he has held since 2019. Joe currently serves our community as a member of the Board of Assessment Appeals; has served on the Westport Historic District Commission; and as a Director of the Westport Transit District. Joe worked in investment management business for 42 years and retired as a partner of an investment advisor and principal investor of a national real estate investment management firm. He and his spouse, Darcy, have resided in Westport for over 30 years and have two children, Kyle and Christopher, both of whom attended Westport Public Schools. Joe has served as a director of The Community Preservation Corporation, The Real Estate Board of New York, Inc., The Urban Land Institute, and the Mortgage Bankers Association of America. Joe received his Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy and MBA from the University of Houston.