A Pretty Scene From Above; at Ground Level - Not So Much!
This scene of traffic heading west crossing the William F. Cribari Memorial Bridge is an all to familiar sight to Westport drivers at rush hour each night. The view of glowing lights and reflections in the Saugatuck River may look nice from above, however drivers in the line of cars probably do not see it that way. Traffic is bumper-to-bumper from the bridge all the way to Compo Road South. According to Mapquest, this 6/10 mile drive should take about one minute. If only...
Staples Boys Crush Brien McMahon
Senior Derek Sale, center, pops a jumper. He is the brother of junior guard Cody Sale who scored 10 points in the win over McMahon.
Staples Wreckers basketball (13-5 overall, 10-4 FCIAC) added another one to the win column by trouncing the Senators of Brien McMahon (3-16 overall, 1-15 FCIAC) Monday night at home, 58-32.
Senior Center, Ryan Phelps lead Staples scoring with 14 points. Junior guard Cody Sale added 10 to combine for nearly half the Wreckers scoring. Staples established defensive and offensive dominance early scoring 16 points in the first quarter while holding Brien McMahon to two points. McMahon shooting improved somewhat in the second and third quarter, and managed to match Staples 13 points in the fourth quarter, but for the struggling Senators it was too little, too late.
The Wreckers last regular season game is Wednesday at Darien. They then head to the FCIAC tournament where they are seeded sixth and will face off against Wilton in the opening round.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Off Duty Westport Police Officer Prevents Man from Jumping from Bridge
Westport Police Department:
On this date at approximately 6:45 a.m., a Westport Police officer who was driving through Fairfield on his way to work in Westport encountered a suicidal male who was preparing to jump off the Redding Road overpass onto the Merritt Parkway below.
As Officer Brian Meraviglia was traveling over the bridge, he saw the male leaning over the side and it seemed clear that his intention was to jump. Officer Meraviglia got out of his car and started speaking with the individual who was obviously distraught. As the two were talking, Officer Meraviglia was able to get close to him. This enabled Officer Meraviglia to grab the person and move him away from the bridge. Once the party was in a safe location, Officer Meraviglia as well as a good Samaritan who was passing by worked to comfort the individual and provide emotional support.
Fairfield Police officers who are trained to aid those who are experiencing an emotion crisis as well as State Police troopers also responded to the scene. The male was transported to a local hospital for an evaluation.
Chief Foti Koskinas said he is extremely proud of Officer Meraviglia and noted that his quick actions likely prevented a tragic outcome.
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please understand that there are people who want to help as well as available resources. For further information go to: https://portal.ct.gov/DMHAS/Programs-and-Services/Finding-Services/Suicide-Resources