Morning Weather Report
Today
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 54. Southwest wind 8 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.
Tonight
A chance of showers, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 10pm. Steady temperature around 51. Breezy, with a south wind 15 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 46 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Tomorrow
A 30 percent chance of showers before 10am. Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a temperature falling to around 36 by 5pm. Southwest wind 14 to 18 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 32 mph.
Tomorrow Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 22. Northwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Board of Education Gives Nod to Allow Optional Masking for February 28th
In a special meeting of the Westport Board of Education tonight, Board Chair Lee Goldstein described the Board’s overall support in the superintendent and his allowing Westport students to choose to unmask beginning February 28th. The Board also described policy that allows the Superintendent to make decisions “to develop health and safety protocols related to COVID-19 (the “Safety Protocols”) consistent with applicable laws, rules, regulations, and requirements, and to consider current guidance in the development of the Safety Protocols.”
Superintendent Tom Scarice gave a brief explanation as to why he decided to recommend the switch while giving a brief health and wellness update with Supervisor of Health Services Suzanne Levasseur. Scarice described a lack of masking outside of the school day, high student vaccination rates, and a continued downward trend in cases after the omnicron variant swept through Westport as some of his reasons that guided his decision to allow the optional policy. Scarice’s recommendation came after Governor Ned Lamont announced on February 7th the ending of the State masking mandate at the end of the month, with multiple districts in the surrounding area subsequently announcing their plans to transition to the mask optional policy as soon as they’re able to.
Tonight’s meeting was not a vote, but a discussion amongst educational leaders and members of the public. Explicit support in the Superintendent’s plan was given by Board of Education members and several parents who spoke at the podium while other parents described concern with unmasking directly after the district’s winter break. Scarice announced that parents would be contacted at the end of this week with updates after tonight’s meeting, with Chair Goldstein giving the overall nod - saying that she expects them to be moving forward with the plan to allow optional masking on February 28th.
The Board of Education’s policy committee will be meeting tomorrow, February 17th at 11:00 AM to discuss the masking and COVID-19 policies in addition to “Equity in Girls and Boys Sports, Student and Family Data Privacy, and "Board/Schools Interaction with Town-Appointed Committees and Community Groups.” Click here for the agenda.
The next full Board of Education meeting will be on Monday, February 28th.
Marianne Tarqueno, 83, Died; Former Westporter with Love for Compo and Gardening
Marianne Tarqueno passed away peacefully at age 83 on February 2,2022.
Formerly of Westport Ct for the past 54 years. Marianne and her husband Joseph Tarqueno raised their three children there.
Marianne and her family enjoyed times spent at Compo Beach during the summer as well as boating on Long Island sound. She also enjoyed gardening.
Marianne had impeccable taste and was admired by her loving family. She dedicated herself to her loving husband of 64 years, her children and grandchildren who adored and admired her.
She was predeceased by her parents; Benjamin Kulakowski and Balbina Kulakowski, her sister Audrey Autuori Jack and her beloved son David Tarqueno.
She is survived by her adoring husband Joseph Tarqueno of Boca Raton,Fl; daughter Lisa Crawford of Ridgefield Ct, and son Peter Tarqueno of Carmel, CA. Also a sister; Donna Fischer of Zurich, Switzerland.
"Mamere" as she was lovingly known by her two grandchildren; Christine Crawford of North Branford, Ct and Cole Crawford of New Haven ,Ct.As well as several nieces and nephews.
Marianne will be forever in our hearts and deeply missed by many friends and family.
In lieu of flowers; memorial contributions may be made to Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research www.michaeljfox.org/donate
Service to take place Thursday, February 17th at 11:00 a.m. at St Luke's Church, 49 North Turkey Hill Rd, Westport Ct.
Staples Students of the Month Announced
(L-R): Krishin Wadhwani, Elena Lim, Sophia Papp, Julia Herlyn, Dagny Dahl, Isabel BrookbanksPrincipal Thomas has announced Staples High School's recipients for February Student of the Month:
Krishin Wadhwani – Gr. 12
Elena Lim – Gr. 12
Sophia Papp – Gr 10
Julia Herlyn – Gr. 11
Dagny Dahl – Gr. 10
Isabel Brookbanks – Gr. 9
Mieszko Solowinski – Gr. 9
Mieszko Solowinski
The Students of the Month award program recognizes students who help make Staples High School a welcoming place for their peers and teachers alike. They are the “glue” of the Staples community: the type of kind, cheerful, hard-working, trustworthy students that keep the high school together, making it the special place that it is.
Students of the month are nominated by their teachers, who are asked to think of those students who come to school regularly, are friendly to the staff and to fellow students, and make positive contributions in class as well as the Staples community. In short, these students are all-around good citizens of our school. Students of the Month are not necessarily star athletes, high honor students, or lead performers, and even if they are, this award recognizes the positive attitude they bring to school every day in making Staples High School a genial place in which to learn and teach.