Westport COVID-19 Cases Up 8 over Weekend; State Hospitalizations up 54, Positivity Rate Up to 5.25%
The Westport-Weston Health District reported 8 new COVID-19 cases for Westport over the weekend. The State’s daily test positivity rate was up to 5.25% while hospitalizations were up 54.
Westport total positive or probable cases: 2,209 cases.
Westport total COVID-19 Deaths: 32 deaths.
State Daily Test Positivity: 5.25% [up from 3.72%]
State Hospitalizations: 354 patients [+54]
Talking Transportation: Satirical Gift Ideas Perfect for the Jaded Commuter
Holiday Gifts for Commuters
Looking for the perfect holiday gift for a friend who misses their daily commute amid the pandemic? Consider an item from the exclusive Cameron Commuter Collection:
SCENTED CANDLES:
Nothing says the holidays like a fragrant candle to remind you of the old days of commuting. How about the “M2 Lavatory” scent to revisit the pungent smell of the railroad’s old bathrooms. Or the “Bar Car Memories” fragrance that smells faintly of stale beer and cigars.
For sports fans, there’s the “Yankee Express-ions”, which smells like sweaty baseball fans tailgating on their way to the game. Or the “Burning Brakes” scent that has just a hint of fried railcar asbestos brake pads. And who wouldn’t enjoy the “Dainty Diesel” candles to relive that great scent of exhaust fumes in the morning as you crawl down I-95, bumper-to-bumper, behind a spewing truck?
FAMILIAR FOODS:
If you miss snack shopping at Grand Central there’s the “Day Old Zaro’s Bagel Bag” filled with rock-hard baked goods. Or the “DD Delight”, a bag of month-old donuts found under my car’s front seat… stale, but surprisingly tasty.
HOME DECORATION:
Or how about a collection of old, graffiti-covered advertising posters from the railcar interiors. Maybe you’ll score the rare “If You See Something, Say Something” posters from the time when all we had to worry about were terrorists. And for the serious collector on your list, there’s a limited selection of salvaged 2 x 3 seats from the old, scrapped M2 cars, perfect for your rec room or man cave.
If you appreciate fine art chose the “Oh No SoNo Bridge” portrait showing the 125-year-old railroad bridge stuck in the open position on a hot summer’s day.
HIGH TECH:
Tired of your car’s GPS ‘voice’? Load our new “Roadway Romp” package that, no matter the real road conditions, offers a friendly voice keeps saying “no delays ahead”, bringing you peace of mind in any type of traffic.
And for real railroading nostalgia, check out the “Virtual Reality” metasphere bundle complete with 3D goggles playing a two-hour video loop of a crowded train ride with conductors collecting tickets while your commuter-neighbors jabber at high volume on their cell phones. Ah, such happy memories.
And brand new this year, a CD collection of the Yale Wiffenpoof glee club performing on the 5:45 AM train enroute to a concert in the city. You’ll smile ear to ear when the enthusiastic young a capella group does its renditions of such classics as “Silent Night”, right there in the Quiet Car, as shocked commuters try to catch a nap on the way to work.
COVID COLLECTION:
To commemorate our fight against the pandemic, don’t miss the “Metro-North Mask Mayhem” bundle, a hand-curated collection of slightly used face masks only worn once around the neck of the unvaxed. They’re guaranteed to be as fresh smelling as they day they were incorrectly worn.
There are no supply chain issues with the Cameron Commuter Collection, all domestically sourced, recycled, mold-removed and guaranteed to please the pickiest of your ex-commuter friends.
Happy holidays!
About Jim Cameron:
Jim Cameron has been a commuter advocate for over 30 years, with a special focus on the Metro North railroad. He spent nearly two decades on the Connecticut Metro North Commuter Council, and most recently founded The Commuter Action Group. Jim Cameron’s Talking Transportation was a popular column on the former WestportNow.com prior to its cessation, and joins The Westport Local Press and several other online community organizations. A resident of Darien - he serves on its Representative Town Meeting and is Program Director of the town government TV station, DarienTV79. He can be reached at CommuterActionGroup@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter: @CTRailCommuters
Morning Weather Report
Today
Mostly sunny, with a high near 43. Northwest wind 5 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with a low around 26. Northwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm after midnight.
Tomorrow
Partly sunny, with a high near 40. Light west wind becoming southwest 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
Tomorrow Night
Mostly clear, with a steady temperature around 37. West wind around 6 mph.
WAAC Culture Corner: Wrap it Up for December
Wrap It Up!
Contributed by WAAC Member and Westport Poet Laureate Diane Lowman
Welcome back to the Westport Local Press’s Westport Arts Advisory Committee’s “Culture Corner.” For each month of this year, the WAAC has scoured our 33.45 square miles to highlight one of the many artists – visual, written, performance, and other – who call Westport home. These artists create a spectrum of color that shines over town like the rainbows often seen over the Saugatuck, so we have made “color” our theme.
We’ve come full circle this month as we wrap up the year and this column by choosing an artist who literally wraps things in rainbows. No doubt we have all driven around town and smiled at the sight of trees wrapped in hand-knit “sweaters.” Urban lingo calls these crafty, cozy, often anonymous creations “yarn bombing.” I had to do some sleuthing to locate our local artisan, who will here remain anonymous. I have a friend who has a friend… you get it! Eventually I contacted her and she graciously agreed to chat with me. She calls herself the “yarn balmer,” because she sees the knit wraps as a salve to promote peace and positivity (I’ll refer to her as WYB, for Westport’s Yarn Balmer).
WYB’s mom taught her to sew at the age of seven, and that started her on a path of fabricating fashion and art with threads and textiles of many kinds. She made clothes for her dolls, and then for herself. As a teen, her mom taught her how to knit, and she took quickly to reading patterns which included complicated techniques. “It’s almost like learning a new language,” she explained.
During the worst of the pandemic, the soothing rhythm and clicking needles helped to assuage stress and make her feel productive. She would install her creations at night when she felt protected and nourished by the quiet darkness. WYB really wanted to nod to the first responders who heroically faced the amorphous coronavirus threat head on. To show her gratitude, she wrapped a Westport Fire Department tree in one of her knit “hugs.”
The night before Longshore reopened to walkers (a much welcome respite to cooped up Westporters) she cloaked an enormous tree – “that’s a big boy,” she said of the tree she chose. She arrived at 9pm with a step stool and climbed into the tree, with a full moon to light her way. While some installations take just ten minutes, that one needed nearly an hour.
The town’s reactions to the arboreal swaddling warmed her heart. The “tree sweaters,” as they were called, seemed to “uplift people – the bring some comic relief.” Even if the diversion was only temporary, as are her works of art, WYB felt gratified to change the topic to something more uplifting than Covid-19, even for a short time. She was also appreciative to receive so much support from Westport Yarns, who donated yarn to the cause.
While the pandemic may be waning, WYB remains committed to brightening the world one tree at a time. She has taken on private commissions for birthdays, healings, and general encouragement. I cannot reveal her identity, but you can see more of her work and send her a message on Instagram @yarnbalmer.