Fog Sits on the Saugatuck
A foggy day along the Saugatuck’s west bank. Photo by Nancy Lally for WestportLocal.com
Overnight Tractor Trailer Accident Sends One to Hospital
Press ReleaseJust prior to midnight the Westport Fire Department was dispatched to a report of a tractor trailer accident on Interstate 95 southbound between exits 18 and 17. The department responded with 3 Engines, 1 Rescue, and the Shift Commander. Arriving units found an accident involving two tractor trailers. One of the tractor trailers had jack knifed and suffered a ruptured fuel tank. The driver of one vehicle was injured and treated on scene by Westport Firefighters and Westport EMS. Westport EMS transported the patient to an area hospital. The extent of the injuries is unknown. Firefighters mitigated and contained the fuel spill. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) responded to the scene to oversee and coordinate the cleanup of the fuel spill.
Peter Grove Weinberg, 97, Died; Staples Class President, Army Corporal, Talented Musician
Peter Grove Weinberg passed away on November 28, 2022. An almost 66-year resident of North Stamford, Connecticut, he was born in Meadville, Pennsylvania on November 11, 1925, to Louis Weinberg and Gladys Grove Weinberg of Sunnyside Queens, Partrick Lane in Wilton, and Bridgton, Maine.
Peter was educated in Wilton and Westport public schools and was president of his senior class at Staples High School. He went on to Oberlin College where he met his future wife, Margaret (Peg) Kurth Weinberg, after he returned from military service. They graduated in 1949 and married on May 20, 1950. The Weinbergs had six children, Leslie Weinberg, Jill Adams, Sharon Menking, Donna Corman, Jason Weinberg and Beverly Garofalo. Peter also had seven beloved grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, ten nieces and extended family. Peter was predeceased by Margaret and his brother, Anthony Grove Weinberg of Dallas, Texas.
Peter enlisted in the Army immediately after his 18th birthday, had basic training at Fort Bragg, parachute training at Fort Benning, and got his wings in July 1944. He participated in the Philippines' amphibious invasion of Mindoro, the recapture of Corregidor and combat in Negros. He later served in the occupation of Japan in Hokkaido. Peter was honorably discharged as a Corporal with the Battery B 462nd Parachute Field Artillery in April 1946.
Peter had a lifelong passion for music, playing the saxophone for many years with a vast array of talented bandmates and close friends. He was a member of the Local No. 52, Norwalk, Connecticut American Federation of Musicians.
Peter's primary career was in advertising, working with ad agencies and companies including Friend-Reiss, Smith Greenland, AC Gilbert, Warren Muller Dolobowsky, Ted Barash and Contel. He regaled his family with stories about the ad business, including related interactions with such celebrities as Anne Francis, Helen O'Connell, Rocky Graciano, Mickey Mantle and Charleton Heston.
Peter's smile and storytelling lit up a room, and he maintained lifelong friendships with people from his youth, college, music, neighborhood and advertising work, including spouses and offspring. Peter was an avid fan of The Yankees and UConn Women's basketball, and deeply engaged with news and politics. His personal piano and vocals rendition of "Hungry Women" provides a joyful memory to his family.
There will be no services. Donations in Peter's honor can be made to National Veterans Foundation/Lifeline for Vets, Wounded Warrior Project, or Regional Hospice of Danbury, Connecticut.
Published by Wilton Bulletin on Dec. 6, 2022.
Morning Weather Report
Today
Rain likely, mainly before 10am. Cloudy, with a high near 58. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Tonight
A 20 percent chance of rain before 1am. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 42. Calm wind becoming northwest around 6 mph after midnight.
Tomorrow
Sunny, with a high near 53. North wind 7 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Tomorrow Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 30. North wind around 6 mph.
December RTM Meeting: Wieser, Karpf Re-elected as Moderators; Funding Approved for Long Lots Study
December 6th, 2022 Agenda & Results
Westport’s Representative Town Meeting met in the Town Hall Auditorium for a session beginning at 7:30 and adjourning at just after 9:30 in the evening.
1. To take such action as the meeting may determine, to elect a Moderator of the Representative Town Meeting. Jeff Wieser was elected by 28 members with Sal Liccione abstaining.
2. To take such action as the meeting may determine, to elect a Deputy Moderator of the Representative Town Meeting. Lauren Karpf was elected unanimously.
3. To take such action as the meeting may determine, upon the recommendation of the Board of Finance and a request by the Board of Education for $216,056.00 from the Westport’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, to enhance social needs of students at all five Elementary Schools. Unanimously approved by all present RTM members.
4. To take such action as the meeting may determine, upon the recommendation of the Board of Finance and a request by the Director of Public Works, to approve an appropriation of $482,000.00 along with bond and note authorization to the Municipal Improvement Fund Account for an Engineer Assessment, Design Consultant, Project and Construction Managers for the feasibility study for the Long Lots Elementary School Project. Unanimously approved by all present RTM members.
5. To take such action as the meeting may determine, upon the recommendation of the Board of Finance and a request by the Director of Public Works, to approve an appropriation of $385,000.00 to the Capital and Non-Recurring Account for the replacement of the existing sidewalks leading to Greens Farms School along Morning Side Drive South, Hillandale Road and Center Street. A STEAP Grant was awarded to the Town in the amount of $250,000.00. Approved by 28 members with Dick Lowenstein abstaining.
6. To take such action as the meeting may determine, upon the recommendation of the Board of Finance and a request by the Director of Public Works, to approve an appropriation of $350,000.00 along with bond and note authorization to the Municipal Improvement Fund Account for the maintenance and replacement of sidewalks in the existing network program. This project is for sidewalks leading to Bedford Middle School, Coleytown Middle School, and sections along Riverside Avenue. Approved by 28 members with Dick Lowenstein abstaining.
7. To take such action as the meeting may determine, upon the recommendation of the Board of Finance and a request by the Director of Public Works, to approve an appropriation of $550,000.00 along with bond and note authorization to the Sewer Reserve Fund Account for the purchase of a Freightliner 114SD Van-con Jet Truck to be assigned to the Sewage Collection System Division. Unanimously approved by all present RTM members.
Gary Miller Stuart, 82, Died; Local Volunteer, “enjoyed being a grandfather”
Gary Miller Stuart of Westport, Connecticut died on November 27, 2022, at the age of 82 due to complications related to Alzheimer’s.
Gary was born on May 8, 1940, to H.W. and Ruth Stuart in Normal, Illinois. After graduating as valedictorian of the class of 1958 at Normal Community High School, he earned his Bachelor’s degree in mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1962. Following M.I.T., he earned his Master’s degree in economics from Harvard. He then joined the renowned training program at Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan as a financial analyst.
He and his wife Sylvia lived in New Canaan, Connecticut, where they raised four boys. Gary had a successful career in corporate finance serving in various financial and operational roles at Ford, the General Foods Company and Union Pacific Corporation, where he was the Chief Financial Officer when he retired in 1999.
Following his retirement, he traveled, became an avid cyclist, volunteered at the Saugatuck Congregational Church and the Westport Public Library, took a serious interest in genealogy and enjoyed being a grandfather.
He is survived by his wife Sylvia (Rowayton, CT), his four sons David (Peggy) (Fairfield, CT), Peter (Lona) (Derby, VT), Paul (Lesley) (Southlake, TX) and Michael (Vanessa) (Madrid, Spain) and his eight grandchildren Maggie, Emma, Sam, Abigail, Vicki, Nicholas, Celeste and Sofia. The family requests that memorial contributions go to the Saugatuck Congregational Church in Westport, Connecticut or the Westport Public Library.
Morning Weather Report
Today
Rain, mainly after 10am. High near 57. Calm wind becoming southeast 5 to 8 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tonight
Rain. Steady temperature around 52. Southeast wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Tomorrow
Rain, mainly before 1pm. High near 58. Southeast wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Tomorrow Night
A 30 percent chance of showers before 1am. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 43. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph after midnight.
Painter Jarvis Wilcox Announced as Book Shop’s December Exhibitor of the Month
The Westport Book Shop is pleased to welcome artist Jarvis Wilcox as guest exhibitor for the month of December at the Book Shop’s Drew Friedman Art Place.
Jarvis is exhibiting seven of his small oil paintings featuring nature, landscapes and still life.
Jarvis studied art history at Yale University and Columbia University; and studied painting with his mentor Arthur Stern. Jarvis painted in upstate New York for a decade, and then in the Hamptons for 25 years. He now resides in Westport, and is a member of the Silvermine Guild of Artists, and the Artists Collective of Westport.
Jarvis Wilcox’s artwork will be on exhibit at the Book Shop through December 31, 2022. All artwork on display is available for purchase — and would make a perfect holiday gift for someone special in your life!
To see more of Jarvis’ work, visit his website: jarviswilcox.com
The Book Shop will be holding a reception for Jarvis on Saturday, December 10th from 5pm to 7pm. All are welcome.
Westport Book Shop, a nonprofit used book store, is downtown Westport’s only source for gently used and antiquarian books, vintage vinyl records, CDs, DVDs and audio books. It is located at 23 Jesup Road, right across Jesup Green from the Westport Library.
The Book Shop’s “Drew Friedman Art Place” is an area of the store dedicated to exhibiting the work of community artists year-round, on a rotating basis. Miggs Burroughs, a Trustee of the Drew Friedman Community Arts Center, and a founding member of The Artists Collective of Westport, is curating these exhibits, which change monthly. The art exhibit is open to the public during the Book Shop’s business hours: Sundays and Mondays from Noon to 5pm, and Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10am to 6pm.
Holiday Lights on Hales Street
A home on Hales Street brought light to a dark community as their Christmas decor signaled the season. WestportLocal.com photo