Friends Of Sherwood Island Host Shorefest 2022
Friday September 9 was a magical night with a full "Shorefest lobster" moon delighting the guests of Shorefest 2022, the annual fundraising event for the Friends of Sherwood Island State Park. Guests enjoyed appetizers, beer & wine, steamers and clams, lobster dinner with all the fixings and hand-crafted desserts. Live jazz was performed by the talented student musician Karl Schultz, and the silent auction offered plenty of options for restaurants, art, goods and services. Funds go toward the Friends' many activities at the park, including dune restoration, 100 Trees for 100 Years, paid internships at the Nature Center, educational programs for all ages, and the Friends' yearlong efforts to protect one of our State's irreplaceable natural resources. If you missed it, come next year!
To learn more about and help preserve this Westport Jewel visit: https://friendsofsherwoodisland.org/friends/
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
DNR Gets Them Dancing At The Levitt Pavilion's Annual Tribute To Westport Volunteer EMS
The Levitt Pavilion presented this Annual Tribute starring DNR in honor of First Responders everywhere and in support of Westport Volunteer EMS.
The Levitt Pavilion presented this Annual Tribute starring DNR in honor of First Responders everywhere and in support of Westport Volunteer EMS.
Fairfield County's (Almost) All Physician Rock Band plays an infectious mix of rock, Motown, oldies, and contemporary hits. D.N.R. delivers danceable vintage tunes from the ‘60s and ’70’s, including hits by Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones, Van Morrison and the Beatles, plus favorites from the 80’s and 90’s!
DNR Members Include: Lynn Padell, Fred Ury, Dr. Bob Altbaum, Dr. Andrew Parker, Kevin J. Fox, Dr. Rich Frank, and Gnorm.
An insightful article regarding how Westport VEMS works - please read: "EMS is here for us. Are we here for them?"
https://06880danwoog.com/2021/06/14/ems-is-here-for-us-are-we-here-for-them/
Please make a donation to Westport EMS Here: https://www.westportems.org/donate/
Photo By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com
Raffael “Ralph” Michael Festa, 93, Died; Proud Italian born in Saugatuck
West Lebanon, NH — Raffael "Ralph" Michael Festa of West Lebanon, New Hampshire passed away on September 6, 2022 at the age of 93.
Born to parents Salvatore Festa and Rose Nuzzo on January 18, 1929 in Saugatuck, (Westport) Connecticut. Ralph was very proud of his Italian heritage and very large family. He is predeceased by 8 brothers and sisters. He is survived by his beloved wife of 64 yrs Claire Smith Festa. They were married in Greenwich, Connecticut at St. Mary's Church. His children Michael Festa, wife Mitzi Festa, Kathleen (Kathy/Katie) Festa Mnichowski, Debbie Festa Baldassare husband Frank Baldassare and John Festa wife Julie Festa. Ralph and Claire have 5 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren.
Ralph served in the Army for 4 years and then worked at Condec Diesel Corporation in Old Greenwich, Connecticut for 40 yrs. He loved gardening and was once best in show for his beautiful roses which were his pride and joy. Ralph was a wonderful cook and loved to make Italian dishes he learned from his beloved mother. Ralph and Claire vacationed and then retired to New Hampshire where Claire his wife continues to reside.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday September 10, 2022 from 3-5pm at the Rand-Wilson Funeral Home 11 1/2 School St Hanover, New Hampshire 03755
Morning Weather Report
Today
Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Southwest wind around 6 mph.
Tonight
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Tomorrow
A 20 percent chance of showers after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. Calm wind becoming west around 6 mph in the morning.
Tomorrow Night
A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Calm wind.
High Tides
11:46 AM
Low Tides
5:41 AM / 6:04 PM
Suicide Survivor Shares Hope and Support during Suicide Prevention Month; “especially among our struggling youth”
United Way of Connecticut:
Steve MacHattie, LCSW and Owner of the Charter Oak Family Center in Manchester, has lived experience - he began experiencing suicidal thoughts and survived his first suicide attempt when he was six or seven years old. “I remember being in my bedroom alone. I had a suicide plan that I thought would work and I tried to carry that plan out. After some amount of time, I realized what I was doing wouldn’t work and went downstairs to find my mother. The conversation I had with her, which simply dismissed my experience as a childish incident, was just the beginning of a battle with depression and suicide that would last for decades.”
Suicide does not discriminate. In 2022, to date 110,792 Connecticut residents have reached out to United Way of Connecticut’s 211 mental health crisis team via 988, Action Line and 211 Option 1 for mental health and addiction resources, which are provided thanks to a close partnership with the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) and the Department of Children and Families (DCF). These residents, your neighbors, were equally male and female, but nearly 12,000 were under the age of 18!
More than 40 years after Steve first experienced mental health issues, an award-winning mental health guide supported by United Way of Connecticut, Gizmo's Pawesome Guide to Mental Health, is available to support social emotional learning and mental health education. The Guide helps kids identify when mental health needs attention, daily activities for coping, and how to connect with trusted adults. Gizmo’s Guide was recognized by AMCHIP (Association for Maternal and Child Health Programs) as an “Emerging Practice” on their Maternal and Child Health (MCH) database. Gizmo’s Guide, featuring Gizmo and his fellow therapy dog and K9 First Responder friends, introduces youth to what can be a challenging subject for adults to discuss and for youth to understand, in an age-appropriate way, with the hope that they may keep and apply what they learn for a lifetime to help them stay healthy and safe.
Even though resources like Gizmo’s Guide were not yet available, Steve began his journey of recovery, little by little, with the help of those around him. He shares that his “struggles with my illness resulted in my illness often being my first reaction to life. If I had a bad day or week, depression was right there to remind me who I was. I feel like I internalized the stigma of mental illness from those around me. Even as things were going better and I progressed in my recovery, I still held myself back. I spent years, literally, hiding from people. My need to hide started when I was a child, though it gained strength as I got older.”
Shortly after Steve’s father passed away, he was struggling with suicidal thoughts while driving to a meeting. He pulled over and called 211 because “I needed to connect with someone who cared.” In a moment when he thought no one cared, he said the contact specialist who answered his call was patient, not rushed, really listened and cared. “Being able to talk through it helped me feel less anxious and angry. Having someone listen decreased my suicidal urges. She reminded me that there were still things in my life I wanted to do – that I had a future with hope and goals.”
Having experienced 211 as a lifeline, Steve, now a clinical social worker, pays it forward by sharing his experience, strength and hope with his clients and by referring them to 211 when in crisis.
Steve says that faith and hope are an important part of his story, and he isn’t hiding any longer. He joined a suicide prevention board, specifically, the Board’s lived experience committee. He’s taking singing lessons, and he puts himself up front and center teaching at the college level and loves it.
According to Steve, “Mental illness may be chronic, but it does not have to be terminal. We can still accomplish great things. Life comes with challenges, stresses, sorrows, even successes. Life is full of surprises, and I don’t have to allow those surprises to define me or stop me. My hope is that by talking about mental illness and my struggles with mental illness, I will help open a door that others will be able to walk through. I also hope that people with mental illness can learn to not judge themselves as harshly as I have been known to do.”
If you are struggling and need crisis and suicide prevention assistance, call 211. In Connecticut, 211 is the point of entry for all crisis intervention in Connecticut (988, National Suicide Prevention Lifeline [1-800-SUICIDE or 1-800-273-TALK (8255)], the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Service’s “Action Line” (1-800-HOPE-135) and the Youth Mobile Crisis Line through Connecticut 211.
MoCA Exhibit “From The Pen To The Knife” Opens October 15
Artwork by Marian Christy.MoCA [Museum of Contemporary Art] Westport announces the premiere showing of the From The Pen To The Knife exhibition, featuring close to 300 watercolor paintings by the ground-breaking artist Marian Christy. Christy was a pioneer of the Knifed Watercolors® style, a process that shatters the traditional method of creating watercolors by using only palette knives and puddles of paint.
From The Pen To The Knife will be on view at MoCA Westport from October 15 - November 27, 2022. An opening reception for the exhibition will be held on Saturday, October 15, 2022 from 5 – 7 p.m. at the Museum. The reception is free and open to the public.
The exhibition was curated by Ruth Mannes, Executive Director of MoCA Westport; Liz Leggett, MoCA Westport’s Director of Exhibitions; and visual artist Tom Berntsen.
Christy was an award-winning journalist for the first chapter of her life. She was an accomplished writer for The Boston Globe at a time when women had limited journalistic opportunities. Her writing garnered two Pulitzer Prizes and was considered innovative in the areas of fashion and celebrity reporting.
She considers her time as an artist as a second chapter of her life, a time where she pivoted from “the pen to the knife.” She explains of her Knifed Watercolors process, “No drawing. Just the splash. My focus is to make this unique signature a 21st century contemporary style, elevating watercolors to new depths and dimensions. I want to pull the viewer into the image, arouse curiosity but, most of all, to make an emotional connection silently, one-on-one.”
“I paint most scenes of our outer life. The scenes are metaphors for our inner selves. The landscapes are full of these messages. To give the viewer a broad print, I detail the feelings with a title that is a kind of code about emotions that connect us all,” Christy added.
Christy, now age 90, did not receive formal training, and has been working for the last fifteen years in her basement, sitting at an ordinary easel, held firm by used bricks to sustain her forceful palette knife strokes. Christy does not work on site nor use the plein air process of "direct observation and painting outdoors with the artist's subject in full view." All of her paintings are process driven. Images and figuration emerge from her imagination, with no direct reference materials.
Christy’s relatively recent return to her art—originally discovered as a child—comes decades after she was discouraged from making as a youngster who was female. The sheer number of works, as well as the sensational palette and varied surfaces and textures, relay not only Christy's rekindled joy in artmaking, but illustrate a literal and metaphorical creative explosion after her long-awaited return to painting. Granting oneself permission to express “our inner selves” as Christy describes, is essential to every work and the artist’s unique history.
“Marian Christy is someone who has always pushed boundaries – as a woman, as a journalist and as an artist. She was not deterred by what others expected of her and she forged her own path,” stated Ruth Mannes, Co-Curator and Executive Director of MoCA Westport.
“We are honored to have the opportunity to share Christy’s watercolors with the public. These specific paintings have never before been viewed together as a collection, and we are thrilled to give her work the exposure it deserves,” added Mannes.
The exhibition is on view during MoCA Westport’s Fall Gallery Hours: Wednesday 12 - 4 | Thursday 12 - 7 | Friday - Sunday 12 - 4 PM.
The exhibition is generously sponsored by Hofstetter Baron Group at Wells Fargo Advisors.
For more information on the exhibition, contact Liz Leggett, Director of Exhibitions for MoCA Westport at liz@mocawestport.org or 203/222-7070.
Superintendent’s Update as School Begins: “I am most optimistic”
Superintendent Thomas ScariceGood afternoon,
I always say that we are not perfect, but beyond some operational challenges mentioned below, we have had a very successful start to the year!!! There is renewed energy and a positive vibe in the school culture, something that was challenging as we confronted the pandemic.
Back to School Nights are underway, the summer heat has subsided, and as we complete our second week of the school year, I want to emphasize that we intend to sustain the early momentum we have experienced.
Our primary focus has been to reestablish a positive, inviting school climate for all in our school communities. You will notice additional efforts and gestures to this end. Engaging our kids in the learning process, while maintaining child-centered practices is a high priority.
A great start does not guarantee a great school year, and my responsibility is to support our team in delivering on our promises. I am most optimistic after these first two weeks. We have problems to confront, but with a strong school culture, I have no doubts that we will meet those challenges, some quite formidable.
And on with some updates…
22-23 School Calendar Changes
The Westport Board of Education voted on Tuesday, September 6, 2022, to revise the existing 2022-2023 student calendar. (See attached and linked here) The changes to the calendar are as follows:
Schools will be closed on Monday, January 2, 2022, to mark the observance of New Years Day. Students and staff will return from the winter recess on Tuesday, January 3, 2022.
The last day of school will now be Thursday, June 15, 2022.
The five built in snow days will now be June 16, 20, 21, 22 and 23.
The Westport Public Schools will be closed on Monday, June 19, 2022, to mark the observance of Juneteenth. This closure will only go into effect if two or more snow days cause the school year to extend beyond June 15, 2022.
It is important to note that the built in snow days could potentially move the last day of school to Friday June 23, 2022. Therefore, please keep in mind, when making summer recess plans, that schools may be in session from June 20 - June 23.
Transportation
Unfortunately, transportation continues to be a disappointment. The students and parents who are impacted by issues in transportation are highly frustrated. We share that frustration.
I can assure you that our team is working feverishly to resolve these challenges. We have experienced modest success in thinning out some dense rides in order to shorten the overall bus ride and increase reliability in pick up and drop off times. We will continue to apply similar interventions to other routes where possible.
The unfortunate truth is that we continue to be at a disadvantage due to the driver shortage. We ordinarily operate with approximately 58 drivers and we are currently functioning with approximately 51. We have not approached the level of disruption that some other CT districts have experienced as one CT district had to close school this week due to insecure transportation routes.
That said, we have identified specific buses that we are targeting for further intervention to increase reliability and assure pick up and drop off times. Additionally, we have tightened up our communication protocols to get messages to parents as soon as possible about any changes in routes. Finally, the “WheresTheBus” app is scheduled to go live in the next couple of weeks. As much as we would prefer to go live immediately, it would be a significant error to activate the app while some routes remain in flux as we intervene, and until we are certain the app is accurate and useful.
Again, students and parents who are impacted by these issues have every right to be frustrated. We share that frustration. As I mentioned last year when speaking about facilities, we have an expectation of a certain standard for our schools. We have some facilities below that standard that warrant remodeling or new construction. Likewise, the current level of transportation service is below the standard we expect in our district. We will continue to work to improve this level of performance until it meets the community’s expectations.
COVID
As we continue the start of the school year, the District is operating as close to pre-pandemic practices as possible. The District Health Team will employ thoughtful mitigation strategies, monitor COVID-19 cases, and implement respiratory prevention strategies as necessary. Project COVID DeteCT (weekly monitoring), the use of the COVID dashboard, the COVID hotline and daily notifications to classrooms will no longer be in effect. We ask that COVID cases be reported to the school nurse.
In the event that there is a cluster or outbreak with several cases of respiratory illness including influenza or COVID-19 in one class, parents/guardians will be notified through a classroom letter. We will continue to follow guidance from both the CDC and the State Department of Public Health and will adjust mitigating measures as indicated.
Vaccinations continue to be the most important line of defense in preventing respiratory diseases like influenza and COVID-19. Updated COVID boosters are now available and recommended for people 12 years and older and can be found at Vaccines.gov - Find COVID‑19 vaccine locations near you.
The Aspetuck Health District also has available appointments for influenza and updated boosters and can be found on their website at Aspetuck Health District – Public Health Services and Information. Additional information on State DPH guidance can be found at Link to DPH/CSDE/OEC guidance.
For more specific information on isolation and other COVID specific guidelines please see our Return to School Plan for the 2022-23 School year at Return to School Plan.
Successful Start With New “Healthy Use of Technology” Approach
In full candor, we held our collective breath as we implemented a “healthier use of technology” approach. It is not perfect, but I am proud to report that the initial implementation is very positive. Teachers report significantly more dialogue between students in transition times, before and after class, as well as during interactive instruction.
Though they might not admit it, we believe that many students are relieved to some degree. I’ve personally watched the insidious comparisons on social media compromise the happiness and welfare of my own children. This phenomenon is pervasive. We will not halt this phenomenon due to these changes, yet, we are seeing positive signs in our schools and classrooms by limiting distractions and restoring much of the humanity that was lost over the past few years.
This is only one strategy that we have employed in restoring our school culture and encouraging healthy interpersonal development, but the early feedback has been very positive.
Respectfully,
Thomas Scarice
Superintendent of Schools
Westport Property Transfers: August 22nd-25th; Highest Sale on Riverside Ave at $16.5 Million
Westport Town Clerk’s Office:
Total Conveyance Tax: $94,852.78
Total Sales: $37,941,114.00
Highest Transfer Price: 33 Riverside Avenue: $16,500,000
Lowest Transfer Price: 11 Marilane: $125,000
Transfers:
33 Riverside Avenue: $16,500,000
15 Stoneboat Road: $3,100,000
15 North Ridge Road: $2,200,000
40 Bauer Place Extension: $2,150,000
29 Bonnie Brook Road: $2,011,000
86 Clapboard Hill Road: $1,900,000
6 Sandy Hill Terrace: $1,850,000
8 Coach Lane: $1,826,114
3 Blue Coat Lane: $1,675,000
17 Terra Nova Circle: $1,325,000
152 Regents Park: $1,225,000
9 Marilane (War Deed): $450,000
9 Marilane (Trustee Deed): $450,000
26 Pin Oak Court: $705,000
19 Crescent Park Road: $449,000
11 Marilane: $125,000
Westport COVID-19 Cases Up 6; State Positivity Rate 9.85%
The State Department of Public Health reported 6 more COVID-19 cases in Westport over the past day. The State positivity rate was up to 9.85% while 358 people are hospitalized around the State.
Westport total positive or probable cases: 5,786 cases.
Westport total COVID-19 Deaths: 39 deaths
State Daily Test Positivity: 9.85% [up from 9.81%]
Morning Weather Report
Today
Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 80. Northeast wind around 6 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Tonight
Clear, with a low around 60. Calm wind.
Tomorrow
Sunny, with a high near 85. Light and variable wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Tomorrow Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 64. South wind around 6 mph.
High Tides
10:58 AM / 11:20 PM
Low Tides
5:41 AM / 6:04 PM