Superintendent Provides Update on Wednesday Weather, COVID-19 Information
Greetings,
Just a few quick updates for our school community regarding an inclement weather forecast for tomorrow and the sunsetting of some Covid measures.
Inclement Weather Forecast for Wednesday: We are watching the weather for tomorrow. The forecast just received indicates that most of the snow, if it sticks to roads, will be late morning/early afternoon. We are having our sidewalks and driveways pretreated today and we are working with Westport public works to ensure that roads are treated. Given that the expectation is for snow to arrive in the late morning/early afternoon, at this point, we are planning on a normal arrival time unless the forecast changes. Although there is a chance there will be a slushy commute, public works should be able to keep up with the snowfall given the sun today and warm weather over the weekend. This should keep conditions reasonable for travel. There is a regional superintendents call with our consulting meteorologist between 4am-5am and we should have a definitive answer shortly after 5am. In the absence of delay or cancellation notification shortly after 5am, families should plan on a regular arrival time
Daily Covid Reports: As promised, we have committed to providing daily Covid case reports through Friday March 11. Given the low infection rates, the daily reports will end this Friday March 11. The district is still required to continue to report new cases to the State Department of Education.
End of Quarantine Tutoring: Beginning March 14, 2022 the Westport Public Schools will discontinue remote tutoring services for students in quarantine. Given the low number of students in quarantine and the decreased number of days students are required to be out of school, we are confident that student needs will be met by classroom teachers upon their return to school. Classroom teachers will continue to schedule times to check in with students while they are in quarantine. As outlined in the Westport Public Schools Parent/Guardian Handbook, students absent for less than two consecutive days will usually not be given special homework. When the absence extends beyond two days due to illness or extenuating family circumstances, homework will be provided if requested or necessary.
Respectfully,
Thomas Scarice
Superintendent of Schools
Westport COVID-19 Cases Up 33; State Reports Increase due to Backlog in Reporting
The State Department of Public Health reported 33 more cases in Westport, with a separate announcement describing “approximately 37,000 backlogged test results from March-April 2021.”
The State’s daily test positivity rate was down to 2.28% while hospitalizations were up by 6 patients.
Westport total positive or probable cases: 3,888 cases.
Westport total COVID-19 Deaths: 36 deaths
State Daily Test Positivity: 2.81% [up from 2.22%]
State Hospitalizations: 151 patients [+6]
Wheels2U Westport Announces Limerick Contest
Wheels2U Westport, the Westport Transit District’s on demand, group ride, door to train platform shuttle service, is launching a limerick contest to help promote the use of its Wheels2U commuter shuttle. Sample limericks appear throughout this release.
A bright young commuter named Gus
Said getting to work is no fuss.
Why drive to the train?
That’s surely a pain,
When you can easily take the bus.
Gift certificates to Westport restaurants of their choice will be given to the top seven entries. One first prize winner will receive a $100 gift certificate, two second prize winners will receive $50 gift certificates, and four third prize winners will receive $25 gift certificates.
Peter Gold, Director of the Westport Transit District, stated “Wheels2U Westport provides many benefits. It’s easy, inexpensive, and convenient to use. It comes when you call it, picks you up right at your door, and takes you right to the train platform at the Westport and Greens Farms stations. No more walks from the parking lots in the cold and dark, no more need to scrape snow from the windshield in winter. And it’s a greener way to get to the train.”
A brilliant lawyer named Lena
Said be smart and commute greener.
Give the bus a try.
It’s as easy as pie!
If not, you’ll get a subpoena!
Westport residents and commuters to Westport can use the Wheels2U Westport app to request a pickup between 5:45 AM and 10 AM and between 4 PM and 9:30 PM and be taken to or from the Saugatuck or Greens Farms train platform and their front door almost anywhere in Westport. Pickups should be requested about 20 minutes before you would normally leave to drive to the station. The fare is $2.00 when paid with the Wheels2U app.
An aspiring poet named Poe
From his house to the train had to go.
The bus came to my door!
I’ll drive never more!
Said the famous young poet named Poe.
For more information about Wheels2U go to www.wheels2uwestport.com. For more information about the Westport Transit District’s services for the elderly and people with disabilities go to www.WestportTransit.org
Official Rules
The contest is open to all residents of Westport. Enter as often as you like. Entries should be sent to Peter Gold at pgold@westportct.gov no later than March 25, should have Limerick Contest in the subject line, and must include the sender’s name, address, and email address. Winners will be chosen by the Director of the Westport Transit District in his sole discretion. All entries become the property of the Westport Transit District. Entrants give the Westport Transit District permission to use their entries to promote the operations of the Westport Transit District and Wheels2U Westport as the Director of the Westport Transit District sees fit, including, but not limited to, using the entry as an advertising poster at the Westport and Greens Farms train stations. The Westport Transit District may modify entries if necessary to meet the needs of the Westport Transit District.
Talking Transportation: Conserving Fuel
Saving Money on Fuel
The Russian invasion of the Ukraine has thrown the world energy markets into turmoil, raising the price of gasoline in Connecticut to more than $4 per gallon. And given that 26% of all energy in this country is spent on transporting people, sticker shock at the gas pump will affect all of us.
I’ve written before about our state’s crazy “Zone Pricing” for gasoline, which is why you’ll pay 42 cents more per gallon for fuel in Greenwich than in Bridgeport. But wherever you drive, there are some simple ways of saving on gas.
DRIVE LESS: Duh! If you plan your trips and only drive when you must, you’ll not waste miles cruising the highway. Map out your shopping. Work from home. Try walking. Ride a bike.
CAR POOL: Even if just occasionally, try sharing the ride to work or the airport. Check www.CTrides.com or www.rideshare.com, which can help you find someone to share the ride.
TAKE THE BUS: Our region’s bus service is improving and is increasingly popular. “The Coastal Link” bus from Milford to Norwalk along Rt. 1 runs seven days a week and costs only $1.75 (vs. $4.50 on Metro-North). And the “I-Bus” from Stamford and Greenwich to White Plains still costs only $4.
PUT YOUR KIDS ON THE BUS TOO: Your tax dollars pay for school buses, so why do so many parents insist on driving their kids to school each morning in “the SUV parade”? What are we teaching our kids about avoiding mass transit?
If you must drive you can save gasoline by avoiding these mistakes:
Don’t accelerate too quickly, especially from a dead stop. Pretend there’s a raw egg between your foot and the gas pedal and ease into it.
While driving down the road, if you see the light ahead turn red, take your foot off the gas and coast to a stop. It will also save wear and tear on your brakes.
Keep your vehicle as light as possible. No need to waste fuel hauling extra weight.
Keep your tires properly, but not over-, inflated. Softer tires increase road friction. Over-inflation may increase MPG slightly but causes more wear on your tires.
Keep your gas tank cap tightly closed. If you get air in your gas tank your engine has to burn more fuel.
Don’t idle your car unnecessarily. Sitting still can burn one to two ounces of fuel a minute or about a gallon an hour that’s giving you zero MPG.
When you gas-up, do it in the morning when the station’s underground tanks are coldest and the fuel is the densest.
Replace your engine’s air filter as often as recommended by the manufacturer. A clogged air filter has to work harder to combust the fuel, cutting down on efficiency.
Come the warmer weather, use your car’s air conditioner sparingly. But for 60 mph highway driving, keeping your windows closed actually improves mileage by cutting down on drag.
Use your car’s cruise control to avoid unnecessary braking and acceleration, the two enemies of good MPG.
Just slow down. Driving at 60 mph instead of 70 can save you two to four miles per gallon!
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