YMCA Honors Retiring Gymnastics Director with “Sally Silverstein Viewing Area” Dedication
The Westport Weston Family YMCA (WWFY) announces the “Sally Silverstein Viewing Area” at the Gymnastics Center, named in honor of retiring Senior Gymnastics Director, Sally Silverstein. During her 34-year tenure at the WWFY, Sally built a thriving gymnastics program for children and youth of all ages, as well as built the nationally and internationally-recognized, award-winning Showtime Exhibition Team, which has performed all over the world. The gymnastics program serves over 500 gymnasts in the facility’s new 11,000 sq. ft. space between Developmental Classes, Showtime, and Competition Teams. The naming ceremony will be held on Friday, March 4, at 6:30 PM, in the Gymnastics Center at 14 Allen Raymond Lane, Westport, CT 06880.
“The Y’s core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility have all been superbly reflected in the growth of WWFY’s gymnastic program under Sally’s leadership. It is a tribute to her and her team that we have an excellent gymnastics program that can serve our community and build strong healthy, confident, successful gymnasts,” said Anjali McCormick, CEO.
“Sally developed the gymnastics program into much more than just a sport, it’s about family. The Y was always my home away from home, a safe haven where I could go be my truest self, knowing that I was surrounded by teammates and coaches who supported me.”, says Emily Gruen, Showtime Team gymnast.
David and Beth McKinnis, Showtime Team parents said, “The WWFY Gymnastics program was a second home for our daughter. As a family, we are indebted to Sally for pouring her energy, enthusiasm and love into the program. She set the tone for a program where all the gymnasts were a family and supported and cheered for each other.”
“Over the last 11 years, Sally has been a mentor and provided me with the tools to lead our exceptional gymnastics program. I’m excited to continue to build and grow our program in the months to come,” said Megan Willett, who will step in as Interim Gymnastics Center Director and continue in her position as Head Gymnastics Coach and Competition Team Program Manager and Coordinator.
Under Megan’s supervision, the Competition Team has achieved great success so far this season.
Jan 9 in Glastonbury: Level 3 – 2nd place, Level 4 and 5 – 1st place
Jan 23 in Trumbull: Level 3 – 1st place, Level 4 & 5 – 2nd place, Level 6-7 – 2nd place
Feb 12 in Darien: Level 3 – 2nd place, Level 5 – 1st place
To learn more about the viewing area dedication, our gymnastics program and to read full testimonials, view our Y-News.
Westport Launches Glass Recycling Pilot Program
Town of Westport Department of Public WorksPublic Works Director Peter Ratkiewich announced today that the Town of Westport has launched a Pilot program to separate glass from the single stream recycling. The Department of Public Works (DPW) has provided a special container at the Transfer Station, located at 300 Sherwood Island Connector, where residents can deposit clean glass beverage bottles, juice jars, condiment bottles and food jars. Residents are asked to rinse the glass containers, remove lids or caps, and place them in a separate box or bin from the single stream recycling. The clean glass can be deposited in the separate container during the Transfer Station’s normal operating hours.
Mr. Ratkiewich explained, “The problem with glass in the single stream is that it breaks, and then contaminates paper, cardboard, and other recyclables with broken glass particles. This reduces the market value of all recyclables. Conversely, small bits of paper, bottle caps, straws and other metals contaminate the glass so much that it can’t be effectively recycled, so it either gets used as landfill cover, or is discarded as residual waste. By separating glass from the single stream, contamination is eliminated on both ends, and makes the glass more valuable.”
The separated, clean glass is being directed to a glass recycling facility in Beacon Falls, CT where it is converted to an additive that replaces fly-ash in concrete products and actually makes the concrete stronger. This additive also reduces the carbon footprint of the concrete industry as fly ash is a byproduct of coal burning power plants. The new facility will soon have the capacity to take all the glass generated in the State’s 169 municipalities.
Mr. Ratkiewich stated that Westport is one of five towns in the 14-town Greater Bridgeport Regional Solid Waste Interlocal Committee (GBRSWIC) that are doing a “soft-launch” of the program to work out logistics and procedures. This pilot will be expanded into a full pilot project with the other nine towns in about six months to a year. “We are working with our partners at Oak Ridge Waste in Shelton to make this program as successful as possible,” he said. “A similar program was implemented in the Housatonic Resource Recovery Authority (HRRA) about a year ago and was a huge success. We aim to duplicate that program.”
First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker added, “This is an important step in making our recycling program more effective, and reducing the portion of our solid waste that is going to landfills. Westport is proud to be part of the group leading the program that we hope to see implemented across the whole region, and the entire State”
Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce Announced Great Westport Salad Contest
The Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce a new event for the Town and its residents, the Great Westport Salad Contest. This event is a follow up to the highly successful and embraced Pizza, Burger, Soup and Sandwich Contests run the last four years.
On Monday March 1st at Noon, First Selectwoman Jen Tooker will proclaim the month of March as Westport Salad Month. This announcement and the kick off of the event will take place at Granola Bar.
The contest, to take place throughout the month of March, will have 20 salad making restaurants, delis and markets compete in eight different categories to be crowned Best Salad Maker in Westport. Judging will be done by the residents of the Town by voting on-line for each category. Furthermore, by voting, each participant is entered into a drawing to win a free salad from one of the eight winning restaurants. Over 5000 votes were cast in total during the last four contests.
"This is a fun way for our community to interact, support our local restaurants, delis and markets and best of all get to eat lots of delicious salads," said Matthew Mandell, Executive Director of the Chamber about his newest event. "It's all about creating experiences and this will be a positive for everyone; businesses, residents and of course the Town as a whole.”
The 22 competitors from across the town are: A & S Fine Foods, Calise’s, Capuli, Don Memo, Granola Bar, Joe’s Pizza, Kawa Ni, La Plage, Manna Toast, Match Burger Lobster, Mystic Market, Organic Krush, Pane e Bene, Parker Mansion, Planet Pizza, Rizzuto’s, Romanacci, Spotted Horse, The Boathouse, The Whelk, Tutti’s and Winfield Street Deli.
The eight categories are: Best Cobb Salad, Best Chef Salad, Best Caesar Salad, Best Deli Salad, Best Mediterranean Salad, Best Make Your Own Salad, Best Unique Salad and Best Greens Salad.
Each Restaurant, Deli or Market can enter up to four categories, but can only win two at most.
Residents have a month, beginning on March 1 and ending on March 31, to visit all the venues, enjoy the offerings, then go to the Chamber's Salad Contest web page to vote via cell phone or PC. As the community participates throughout the month the social media hash tag #greatwestportsalad may used in posts. The more pictures of people eating salad the better.
Sponsoring the event again is Westport law firm Berchem Moses PC. "We are pleased to sponsor this event. Not only is the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce an outstanding organization, but there is nothing better than a good salad," noted Berchem Moses PC Westport managing partner, Ira Bloom. "I hope to sample them all during the month."
The winning restaurants, delis or markets, to be announced in April, will receive a plaque to commemorate their achievement. For more information and to access the voting pages, go to www.westportwestonchamber.com/salad .
Westport COVID-19 Cases Up 22 over Weekend; State Hospitalizations Decline by 47
The Aspetuck Health District and the State Department of Public Health reported 22 new COVID-19 case for Westport over the weekend. The State’s daily test positivity rate was up to 2.58% while hospitalizations declined by 47 patients.
Westport total positive or probable cases: 3,826 cases.
Westport total COVID-19 Deaths: 35 deaths
State Daily Test Positivity: 2.58% [up from 2.55%]
State Hospitalizations: 188 patients [-47]