A More Peaceful “South Beach”
Westport’s South Beach at Compo Beach was peaceful as the skies exploded with fiery hues while night arrived to the shoreline. Photo by JD Dworkow for WestportLocal.com
New Judge Sworn in as Magistrate Judge for District of Connecticut
United States District Court for the District of Connecticut:Maria Eugenia Garcia, a private attorney with a background in civil litigation, has been selected by the Board of Judges for the District of Connecticut as a Magistrate Judge. She will be sworn in on June 3, 2022, and will be resident at the New Haven federal courthouse. Ms. Garcia fills the magistrate judge vacancy created by the elevation of Judge Sarah A. L. Merriam from magistrate judge to district judge on October 8, 2021.
Ms. Garcia was a summa cum laude graduate of Tufts University in May 2004. In 2007, she received her Juris Doctor from The George Washington University Law School. Prior to her appointment, from 2018 to 2022, she represented individuals and small businesses in all aspects of employment litigation at her own boutique law firm, MGQ Law, LLC, in Westport. From 2013 to 2018, she practiced employment and civil rights litigation at Mitchell and Sheahan P.C. (2015-2018) and at the Law Offices of Lewis A. Chimes (2013-2015). From 2007-2010, she worked as a litigation associate at Pullman & Comley, P.C.
Ms. Garcia served as a law clerk to the Honorable Holly B. Fitzsimmons, United States Magistrate Judge for the District of Connecticut from May 2010 through September 2013, and as an interim law clerk to the late Honorable Warren W. Eginton, Senior United States District Judge for the District of Connecticut in the fall of 2009.
Stefan R. Underhill, Chief United States District Judge, described Ms. Garcia as “deeply committed to justice. As a private attorney she has real world experience representing individuals and businesses in court. We are excited to welcome her to the ranks of judicial officers in our District.”
The District Judges appointed the Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Panel that screened applications for the vacancy created by Judge Merriam’s elevation. Its Chair, Timothy Fisher, is the former Dean and current professor at the University of Connecticut School of Law in Hartford. Other members of the Merit Selection Panel were: Kelly M. Barrett of the Office of Federal Public Defender in New Haven; Timothy Diemand of Wiggin & Dana LLP in New Haven; the Honorable Maria del Pilar Gonzalez, Connecticut Superior Court Judge; Toni Harp, former mayor of the City of New Haven; Gary Scott Klein of Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey, LLP in Stamford; Ivan J. Ladd-Smith of Spears Manning & Martini LLC in Southport; Dr. Elsa Núñez, President of Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic; Jill M. O’Toole of O'Toole & O'Toole PLLC in Hartford; Craig A. Raabe of Izard, Kindall & Raabe LLP in West Hartford; and Alina Marquez Reynolds of Grace Farms Foundation in New Canaan.
The Merit Selection Panel received 42 applications for the judicial position following wide dissemination of the notice of vacancy. The applicants were a tremendously diverse group. The Committee interviewed eight applicants and identified a list of five exceptionally capable and distinguished lawyers to forward to the District Judges.
“The committee was deeply impressed by Attorney Garcia’s breadth of experience, her energy and her leadership ability. She has earned praise from all who have dealt with her and brings both great knowledge of the workings of the federal courts and a deep understanding of parties’ experiences with the justice system. Attorney Garcia will be a great addition to the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut,” said Timothy Fisher, as Chair of the Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Panel.
Magistrate judges are federal trial court judges who are appointed to the court for eight year terms. They play a vital role in the work of the federal courts by assisting the district judges in a variety of pretrial and preliminary matters. The authority exercised by a magistrate judge is delegated to the magistrate judge by the court’s district judges under governing statutory authority and local rules of court.
There are five active magistrate judges and four recalled magistrate judges on the Connecticut bench.
WTF: Town Farm Looking for Teen Summer Volunteers
Wakeman Town Farm Release: 
This popular two-week service-oriented teen apprentice program for 6th-8th graders is focused on fulfilling the Farm's mission to serve the needs of the community while also giving teens a much-needed service hours eventually required for summer jobs, college applications, National Honor Society applications and more. That’s the bonus. The real meat of this program is the fact that children are learning to give back to the community and appreciate the rewards of volunteering well before entering high school!
In this fun, feel-good program, teen participants will focus on planting, watering and harvesting vegetables that will then be donated to local food pantries, where the need is great. The Farm will invite representatives from local receiving agencies to visit and talk about food insecurity in our area and how community volunteering changes lives. Once per session, the group will cook up a nutritious meal for the residents of Westport’s Gillespie Center, incorporating the Farm’s organic produce. The teens will also run their own Farm stand.
In addition, students will interact with Farm’s rabbits, ducks, chicken, sheep, goats, and furry Alpacas. They will learn about animal care, feeding, and even halter training. They will also explore environmental topics, such as composting, creating a pollinator garden, and the Zero Waste initiative through visiting guest experts who will demonstrate and talk to the group. They will also do a few “maker" projects using sustainable/reusable materials.
The second session of the two-week program ends with a “graduation” celebration, where students share their feelings about their experiences growing their own food, the role the Farm plays in community education, and what they learned about community service. Each participant will receive a Green Teen Service Certificate.
To register:
Fairfield Half Marathon will cause Sunday Morning Greens Farms Traffic
Westport Police Department Press Release:The Westport Police Department advises all residents and motorists that the Greens Farms area will be impacted by the running of the Fairfield Half Marathon on Sunday June 5, 2022.
Runners will enter Westport on Greens Farms Road at the Fairfield town line, continuing to New Creek Road and on to Beachside Avenue before exiting into Southport.
Through traffic will be stopped or severely limited while runners make their way through town. Motorists should anticipate heavy delays due to road closures along the race route. Race organizers state runners will enter town at approximately 8:15 am and be off Westport streets by 10:15am.
The race route runs for three miles on Westport roads. Westport emergency personnel will be stationed inside the route area to respond to any emergencies with minimal delays.
Please consider alternate routes if you must pass through the area. Residents along the route should expect that it will be difficult to get in or out of driveways during times of heavy runner presence.