30 Minutes North: Redding’s Mark Twain Library Announces “Frog Frolic” on May 6th
The Mark Twain Library is excited to bring back live music, food trucks, a beer tent and a Silent Auction in the annual Frog Frolic Festival on Saturday, May 6th, 2023. This special day for all ages has been a tradition for more than two decades and kicks off the spring season for the entire community. The library revived the outdoor fundraiser last year (it had to hibernate during the height of the pandemic) by adding live music, food trucks and beer tent in an effort to attract a broader audience.
“We received such amazing feedback about the new elements we added to this long-standing tradition,” said festival chair Melissa Capezio. “We wanted to make it an event where everyone in the community could come together to have a great time, no matter their age or life stage. We've got amazing performances planned, fab food and beverage offerings, and plenty of fun activities to keep everyone in your crew entertained! It's going to be a really great day!"
This year’s entertainers include Bridgeport-based singer/songerwriter Chris Cavalieri, Redding’s own high school rock group VooDoo Dream, folk music sensation Hitch and the Giddy Up and the Country/Americana group North County.
A variety of tastes from a mix of food trucks will be available for purchase, including: spanish flavors from Artisan Food Trailer, sweet treats from All Belgium waffle truck, paella from Redding’s own Salas Foods, polish classics from family owned Colossal Kielbasa and every kid’s favorite from 900 Degrees Pizza Truck. A beer tent will once again offer adult beverages from local brewer Nod Hill as well as Ancona’s Wines and Liquors. Plus, Redding-based Quartertone Coffee is back, this year with a trailer!
The spirit behind the Frog Frolic is the much-loved short story by Twain, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, which introduced the world to the witty voice of Mark Twain. The first Frog Frolic was hatched to raise a few dollars for art supplies for children’s story times and eventually grew to an event that adds considerable revenue to the Library’s bottom line. For the last few decades, the Frog Frolic has provided Redding residents and surrounding towns a place for the whole family to relax, meet friends and enjoy a bit of spring fever. In addition to the expanded features of live music, food trucks and beer tent, the games and activities geared toward children that have been the backbone of this festival from the beginning will be back plus a robust Silent Auction open to any and all to bid online.
Attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket or a chair and stay all day as the entertainment is FREE and will be ongoing throughout the festival. Families, friends (and frogs!) are invited to sit back and listen to the musical vibes as well as view community entertainers including students performing karate with local master Sensei June. New Pond Farm will also host an amphibian booth.
The Frog Frolic relies on the dedication and hard work of many community volunteers as well as the generosity of financial sponsors each year.
"We are so grateful to the Frog Frolic committee, our festival volunteers, and of course our sponsors for making this year's Frolic one you will certainly want to hop on over to," said Library Director Erin Dummeyer.
So far this year, Redding’s Meadow Ridge Retirement Community and the Granite Church have already jumped in to sponsor. Registration for volunteers is open and event coordinators say they could use as many helping hands as possible. Volunteer and sponsorship opportunities can be found by visiting https://www.mtlfrogfrolic.org/
The Frolic takes place outside from 10:00am to 4:00pm and is nestled in front of the Redding Community Center @ 37 Lonetown Road amid Redding’s country roads and rolling hills. The event is FREE of charge to enter. Tickets are on sale on location to participate in the games and crafts and for food items from the concession stand. Food truck fare will be available for purchase. All proceeds benefit the Mark Twain Library. The Mark Twain Library is owned by the Mark Twain Library Association. It was founded in 1908 by Samuel Clemens – Mark Twain himself – one of Redding’s most celebratedresidents.
Morning Weather Report
Today
Sunny, with a high near 61. West wind 10 to 15 mph.
Tonight
Increasing clouds, with a low around 40. North wind 3 to 7 mph.
Tomorrow
Partly sunny, with a high near 69. Calm wind becoming southwest 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon.
Tomorrow Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 50. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Surprise Inspection Finds Westport Shop Illegally Selling Pot Products, Some Disguised as Kids’ Candy
Contributed photo from Google Maps. Press ReleaseTHC laced candy confiscated from WP Convenience. Photo contributed by Westport Police Detectives. On Wednesday April 12, 2023, the Westport Police Department working with the State of Connecticut, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) Tobacco Prevention and Enforcement Program (TPEP) conducted unannounced compliance inspections of establishments that sell tobacco products and/or electronic cigarettes. The inspections were performed to determine compliance with state laws concerning the prohibition of the sale of e-cigarettes and/or tobacco products to youth under the age of 21.
Retailers are required by state law to inspect the photo ID of anyone who appears under the age of 30 before selling a tobacco product or electronic cigarette. Free online training is available to anyone who would like to learn more at: www.cttobaccotraining.com.
A total of 12 unannounced compliance inspections were conducted. Of this total, 0 (zero), establishments were found non-compliant with Connecticut General Statutes 53-344 (Sale of tobacco to a person under 21) or Section 53-344b (Sale of an e-cigarette to a person under 21).
Learn more at https://www.ct.gov/dmhas/tpep
Tobacco retailers are licensed by the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services (DRS). Non-compliant inspection results are referred to DRS for possible administrative action.
The following retailers were found to be compliant:
THC laced items confiscated from WP Convenience. Photo contributed by Westport Police Detectives. Merritt Country Store – 337 Main Street
Country Deli Store - 332 Wilton Road
Sunoco Food Mart - 240 Riverside Avenue
Westport Shell – 322 Post Road East
Cumberland Farms – 690 Post Road East
Wheels - 786 Post Road East
Westport Cigar & Vape – 1248 Post Road East
Exxon Tiger Mart - 1510 Post Road East
Shell Food Mart - 1530 Post Road East
WP Convenience – 1761 Post Road East
Mohegan Smoke Shop - 1803 Post Road East
Mercury - 1830 Post Road East
WP Convenience was found to have a large number of illegal vape and THC products for sale. Many of these items did not display the required QR codes and/or were packaged to look like candy.
While anyone might mistake a copycat candy for the real thing, young children are especially vulnerable. These colorful packages resemble popular candy and snack foods, but their contents often contain high doses of THC, which can cause marijuana toxicity, especially in unsuspecting children. These items were seized in addition to a number of canisters of suspected marijuana. The business does not have a dispensary license. Additionally, Westport zoning regulation prohibits all sales of retail (non-medical) cannabis products in Westport, including Delta-9 THC and Delta-8. This incident remains under investigation by the Westport Police Detective Bureau.
Morning Weather Report
Today
Partly sunny, with a high near 58. West wind 9 to 13 mph.
Tonight
Partly cloudy, with a low around 40. West wind 7 to 9 mph.
Tomorrow
Sunny, with a high near 60. West wind 10 to 14 mph.
Tomorrow Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 41. Northwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm after midnight.
Staples Principal Announces April Students of the Month
(L-R): Jonathan Dionne, Cade McGrath, Jonah Bernstein, Vivian Shamie, Charlotte Gurley, Tyler Darden. Contributed photoPrincipal Thomas has announced Staples High School's recipient’s for April Student of the Month:
Jonathan Dionne - Gr.11
Cade McGrath - Gr.11
Jonah Bernstein - Gr.10
Vivian Shamie - Gr.10
Charlotte Gurley – Gr.12
Tyler Darden – Gr.12
The Students of the Month award program recognizes students who help make Staples High School a welcoming place for their peers and teachers alike. They are the “glue” of the Staples community: the type of kind, cheerful, hard-working, trustworthy students that keep the high school together, making it the special place that it is.
Students of the month are nominated by their teachers, who are asked to think of those students who come to school regularly, are friendly to the staff and to fellow students, and make positive contributions in class as well as the Staples community. In short, these students are all-around good citizens of our school. Students of the Month are not necessarily star athletes, high honor students, or lead performers, and even if they are, this award recognizes the positive attitude they bring to school every day in making Staples High School a genial place in which to learn and teach.
First Selectwoman: Westport Fire Chief Set to Retire May 15th
WestportLocal.com photoPress ReleaseFirst Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker announced today that she has accepted the retirement letter of Fire Chief Michael Kronick, effective May 15, 2023.
First Selectwoman Tooker stated, “Chief Kronick has accepted a job offer with the State of Connecticut that he will assume after his retirement on May 15. I appreciate that Chief Kronick has provided ample time with this announcement so that we may insure a smooth, seamless and professional transition at the Fire Department. At the appropriate time, an acting Chief will be announced. Additional details will follow at that time.”
She continued, “The Town of Westport and its residents have been very fortunate to be the beneficiaries of Mike’s expertise and dedication for many years. On behalf of the citizens of Westport, his fellow employees, and his firefighting colleagues, I am grateful for Mike’s longstanding and dedicated service to our community. I wish him much success in his future endeavors.”
Morning Weather Report
Today
Showers likely, mainly between 9am and 3pm. Areas of fog before 3pm. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 69. East wind 6 to 9 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Tonight
Partly cloudy, with a low around 47. West wind 8 to 10 mph.
Tomorrow
Partly sunny, with a high near 61. West wind 9 to 13 mph.
Tomorrow Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41. West wind 8 to 10 mph.
Finalists Announced for TEAM Westport Teen Diversity Essay Contest; Ceremony this Tuesday
Press ReleaseThe three finalists for the 2023 TEAM Westport Teen Diversity Essay Contest have been announced by TEAM Westport in partnership with the Westport Library. The public is invited to the Essay Awards Ceremony at the Westport Library on Tuesday, April 18, 2023 at 6 pm. Registration for in-person or livestreamed attendance may be made via this link.
This is the 10th consecutive year the Contest has been conducted. It is open to any students (Grades 9-12) attending a school located in Westport or any students (Grades 9-12) who live in Westport but attend schools elsewhere. An award of $1,000, $750 or $500 will be made for placement of 1st, 2nd, or 3rd, respectively. This year’s finalists are Savvy Dreas (Greens Farms Academy Junior), Tyler Darden (Staples High School Senior), and Annie Dizon (Greens Farms Academy Senior). The public is invited to attend the ceremony to hear the essays and celebrate the finalists' contributions.
The 2023 Essay Charge is “The Dialogue Challenge: Effective Engagement on Race, Ethnicity, Religion and LGBTQIA+. In 1,000 words or less, reflect on your own interactions with people who have different racial, ethnic, religious, and/or LGBTQIA+ identities and/or perspectives. What kinds of conversations were particularly helpful in prompting you to rethink your beliefs or opinions, perhaps causing you to change your mind or enabling you to better understand others’ points of view? Based on these experiences, what specific actions would you suggest that individuals, schools, and/or town entities in Westport take to promote good-faith dialogue, reduce bias, and foster understanding?
Team Westport’s mission is to make Westport a more welcoming community with regard to race, religion, ethnicity, and LGBTQIA+. In order to achieve its mission, one of TEAM Westport’s goals has been to promote opportunities for people to come together in dialogue to better understand each other’s experiences, decrease bias, and learn what we have in common. Meaningful dialogue depends on a good faith effort to set aside preconceived beliefs or what we think we know about other people. www.westportct.gov/teamwestport
Morning Weather Report
Today
A 20 percent chance of showers before 11am. Areas of fog before 11am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 65. Calm wind becoming east 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon.
Tonight
A 50 percent chance of showers after 2am. Areas of fog after 2am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. East wind around 8 mph.
Tomorrow
Showers likely, mainly between 8am and 2pm. Areas of fog before 8am. Otherwise, cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 64. East wind around 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Tomorrow Night
A 30 percent chance of showers before 8pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 46. Southwest wind around 9 mph.
Wheels2U Shuttle Looks for Support as Budget Cut Looms Near
Press ReleaseWestport is in danger of losing the Wheels2U shuttle yet again.
In what has become an annual rite of Spring, the Board of Finance voted at its March meeting to eliminate all funding for Wheels2U, the Westport Transit District’s door-to-train station on-demand commuter shuttle. This will effectively shut down the service as of June 30, 2023. (Note: The door to door service for the elderly and persons with disabilities will not be affected.)
We need your help to keep the shuttle alive!
The Transit Committee and the Finance Committee of Westport’s Representative Town Meeting (RTM) are meeting on April 17th and April 26th, respectively, to make recommendations to the full RTM regarding the budget for Wheels2U and the full RTM is meeting May 1st to vote on restoring funding to keep the shuttle running for another year.
Please send an email to the RTM (RTM-DL@Westportct.gov) between now and the end of April urging the RTM to restore the budget and keep the shuttle alive. All emails sent to this address will also go to the members of the RTM Transit and Finance Committees.
Wheels2U provided over 21,100 rides to and from Westport’s two train stations to more than 1,170 people since the start of the current fiscal year on July 1, 2022, with over 2,780 rides to and from Westport’s train stations in March alone.
Wheels2U supports Westport residents and businesses and aids economic development by providing a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly way for Westport commuters, reverse commuters, and others to link their homes, their employers, and downtown to the train stations. By sharing your stories of how useful the service has been to you we can help to save the shuttle service.
It takes a vote of 70% of the RTM members present and voting at a meeting to override the Board of Finance and restore the funding for Wheels2U, and every bit of support matters.
Information about Wheels2U, its cost, the benefits it currently provides to riders and the town as a whole, and what it could become if it’s allowed to continue and grow, can be found by clicking this link.
Thank you for your support!
Peter Gold,
Director, Westport Transit District