Dawn Divers hit the Sound
A group of open water swimmers continue a local tradition of diving into the Sound before sunrise as they embark on their morning swim. WestportLocal.com photo
Serene Sunrise over Compo Beach
This morning’s fiery sunrise gave heat and light to the kayakers who made their way through crisp, calm waters along Westport’s Compo Beach. WestportLocal.com photo
Help Wanted: Center Director for Local Learning Center
Huntington Learning Center: Huntington Learning Center in Westport has reopened its doors under new management. Since 1977, Huntington has been positively impacting and changing the lives of children. Huntington is the leader in the tutoring and test prep industry and our success is directly attributed to our highly acclaimed instructional programs and the amazing teams of devoted professionals who commit themselves to help students achieve success in school.
We are seeking a Center Director to operate and manage the center. The Director will be responsible for operations, administration, marketing, communications and customer service. The Director will also help to grow the center from a startup to a thriving school over the next several years. Our goal is to open multiple schools in the area, so this position has the opportunity for greater responsibility. If you are interested in guiding and enriching the lives of children in our community, and have business experience, this is the right environment for you to succeed.
Click Here to Read More
Requirements for the Center Director:
• A 4-year college degree
• 2-3 years of management, customer service, sales or education leadership
• Familiarity and facility with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint • Familiarity with Quickbooks and experience with financial reporting (P&L oversight) • An ability to work a 40-hour work week Monday through Thursday.
• An enthusiastic, outgoing and team-oriented personality
• A growth-oriented mindset and personal drive necessary to manage and build a business operation
• Outstanding communication skills and an ability to interface with customers (parents)
• A confident and flexible demeanor
The Center Director is responsible for meeting revenue, operations, and marketing goals at the center through marketing, generating new business, retaining existing business, and managing and developing full-time staff. The Center Director is a leader, manager, trainer, marketer, and student retention specialist. The Directorʼs typical day includes, but is not limited to:
• Acting as the “face” of the center by greeting all students and parents as they arrive for appointments
• Conducting initial student evaluations and working with new students
• Managing front end administrative office, including scheduling and payroll
• Interacting with parents regarding program, scheduling, and tuition questions • Hiring, training, managing, scheduling, and supervising teachers and other staff • Working with students in an instructional capacity as needed
• Participating in local marketing activities to help grow the center’s tutoring and test prep business, including event-focused school visits, PTA and parent workshops, and visits to merchants, community groups, and libraries
• Building the center's personal referral base through strong customer service.
Benefits:
The compensation package will include a competitive base salary and bonus program based on growth and profitability of the center. Other benefits include:
• Extensive career growth (including potentially managing several centers)
• On the job paid training
• Comprehensive benefits plan
• 401K package
• Vacation/paid time off
If you have a passion for education and appreciate the immediate gratification from making a difference in a child's life, Huntington Learning Center is the place for you. If you are a self-motivated leader with a proven record of excellence in your past endeavors, then you will be a successful partner for us. Please send your CV and cover letter to Brian Rivel at rivelb@hlcmail.com
Morning Weather Report
Today
Sunny, with a high near 88. West wind around 6 mph.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with a low around 66. Calm wind.
Tomorrow
Sunny, with a high near 89. Light and variable wind becoming west around 6 mph in the morning.
Tomorrow Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 68. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
High Tides
10:09 AM / 10:21 PM
Low Tides
4:07 AM / 4:17 PM
Free Narcan Training, Rescue Kit, Offered at Westport Library
Press Release
First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker has announced that Positive Directions is hosting a Free Life-Saving Naloxone/Narcan Training for the community on August 31, International Overdose Awareness Day, with a free lunch and learn at the Westport Library (20 Jesup Road) from 12:30-1:30 pm.
Margaret Watt, Director of Prevention Services at Positive Directions, will facilitate the training as part of Westport Prevention Coalition's focus on educating individuals about the risks of opioids and counterfeit drugs and the potentially life-saving benefits of Naloxone.
First Selectwoman Tooker encourages Town staff and residents to learn about the opioid crisis and how to recognize an overdose and administer the life-saving drug Naloxone, aka Narcan(TM). Participants will receive a free Narcan kit.
Watt states, "The opioid crisis has changed, with counterfeit drugs making their way into colleges and communities. While overdose deaths continue to be relatively rare in Westport, the growing presence of fentanyl in the drug trade is increasing the frequency of overdoses requiring revivals."
Fentanyl can be laced into any substance and is increasingly compressed into pills masquerading as Xanax and other commonly prescribed drugs. Tragically, college students from our area have died from borrowing a tablet from a friend, thinking it was a sleep aid. Recently a middle school student in Hartford died from fentanyl, and baggies of the product were found throughout his school.
"In recognition of this new threat, August 21 has just been officially declared National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day. It's an important time for everyone to talk with their family about drug safety and for businesses to be prepared to respond to a potential incident on their property," continued Watt.
Tooker emphasized the importance of the Westport Prevention Coalition's work and invited residents to participate as coalition members. "The Westport Prevention Coalition provides a comprehensive approach to education and prevention services for Westport residents of all ages, through regular coalition meetings and programming."
She added, "The Coalition is an essential component of the Town's ongoing efforts to address issues related to substance misuse and other community health needs. Positive Directions – the Center for Prevention & Counseling serves as the Town's Local Prevention Council and partners with our Human Services Department and Westport Together partners to address substance misuse and related behavioral health problems in our community."
The Town of Westport and the Westport Prevention Coalition encourages residents to teach their families that "one pill can kill." Never take any medication not prescribed to you, and be sure only to take medication picked up directly from a pharmacy. Know how to store your medications safely and dispose of them appropriately using a Deterra medicine disposal bag which can be obtained at your local pharmacy.
Community members are encouraged to RSVP at www.positivedirections.org/events. Space is limited.
To learn more, or get involved, in the Westport Prevention Coalition, go to www.westporttogether.org/prevention-coalition.
Westport’s Oscar Edelman Grabs Gold in Israel during The 2022 Maccabiah
Westporter Oscar Edelman brought home gold for the United States with his basketball skills and pride in his heritage at the 2022 Maccabi Games in Israel. Edelman and Maccabi USA won the final basketball game against Israel during the international sporting event that brought 10,000 athletes and high ranking leaders, such as President Joe Biden and Israel alternate Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, together for competition and celebration. The games celebrate Jewish heritage and tradition, something Edelman has enjoyed both on the courts in Israel and here at Westport’s Greens Farms Academy. GFA’s John Nash spoke with Edelman last year after learning that he’d been selected for the team, with Edelman telling him “I’m usually the only Jewish kid when I play and now I’m playing with kids wearing yarmulkes, which was really cool.” Edelman comes from a family of Jewish athletes, including his mother - who was also invited to the Maccabi games - his grandfather who was a tennis player, and great grandfather who also excelled in basketball, according to GFA. Edelman was back home today and was celebrated by the local & State community leadership for his gold medal and hard work. Contributed photo.
Westport COVID-19 Cases Up 8; State Positivity Rate 9.54%
The State Department of Public Health reported 8 more COVID-19 cases in Westport over the weekend. The State positivity rate was up to 9.54%.
Westport total positive or probable cases: 5,705 cases.
Westport total COVID-19 Deaths: 39 deaths
State Daily Test Positivity: 9.54% [down from 9.22%]
Morning Weather Report
Today
A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 84. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 7 mph in the morning.
Tonight
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11pm. Mostly clear, with a low around 66. Light west wind.
Tomorrow
Sunny, with a high near 88. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming light and variable.
Tomorrow Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 67. South wind around 5 mph becoming light and variable in the evening.
High Tides
9:25 AM / 9:38 PM
Low Tides
3:22 AM / 3:32 PM
Westport COVID-19 Cases Up 2 over Weekend; State Positivity Rate Down
The State Department of Public Health reported 2 more COVID-19 cases in Westport over the weekend. The State positivity rate was down to 9.22%.
Westport total positive or probable cases: 5,697 cases.
Westport total COVID-19 Deaths: 39 deaths
State Daily Test Positivity: 9.22% [down from 10.43%]
MoCA Westport Presented Jazz At Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Saturday
Saturday night, the Mariel Bildsten Quintet featuring Bildsten, a Jazz at Lincoln Center Emerging Artist, performed in MoCA Westport's gallery with the current exhibition Women Pulling at the Threads of Social Discourse as their backdrop. In addition to Bildsten on trombone, the Quintet consists of Stacy Dillard (tenor sax), Miki Yamanaka (piano), Barry Stephenson (bass) and Luther Allison (drums). Guests arrived early to explore the exhibition and to purchase delicious food and drinks.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
That concert was the final Jazz at Lincoln Center Emerging Artist performance in the 2022 Music at MoCA series. Next up at MoCA is a performance by classical pianist Roman Rabinovich on September 9. Learn more and get tickets on mocawestport.org.