Elmo Learns A Trade
Elmo is a 5 month old yellow labrador retriever who is a bright and energetic puppy and is now in his initial phase of learning to learn a specialized and highly valuable trade. He is learning to become a seeing eye dog who may eventually become the "eyes" for a sight impaired person, enabling them to live a more productive and independent life.
Elmo was on a training walk through Westport Thursday night. He was in a puppy class along with his Guiding Eyes for the Blind volunteer puppy raiser Jared Malise who was also being trained by Maureen Hollis, regional puppy instructor for the organization.
Elmo and his puppy raiser Jared were working on a polite greetings with people they passed by who were delighted to show Elmo some puppy love. They had just worked on another element of his training, settling on a bench in a public setting so Elmo could learn how to ignore dogs and people passing by while remain calm and connected. Elmo is training to be a future guide dog for a sight impaired individual. Jared is a volunteer puppy raiser who has taken Elmo into his home to raise him till he goes in for formal harness training and is teaching him basic manners, obedience and socialization to human experiences for his first year of life.
Guiding Eyes for the Blind provides guide dogs to people with vision loss. Said Maureen Hollis, "we are passionate about connecting exceptional dogs with individuals for greater independence. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we provide all services completely free of charge to people who are blind or experiencing vision loss. At Guiding Eyes, we rely upon the contributions of our generous donors to fulfill our mission."
They are also currently in great need of puppy raisers or sitters in the Connecticut area and New York areas. Said Hollis "We could not complete our mission without wonderful volunteers like Jared and his wife Andrea helping us by taking our puppies and giving them the skills they need to make it to harness training!"
To learn more and to help this great organization visit them at www.guidingeyes.org or by calling 800-942-0149.
Photo By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com
Air Quality Issues Leave Westport Beaches Nearly Empty Thursday
Old Mill Beach had virtually no visitors on Thursday, except for those pictured below
Photos & Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The Old Mill Beach gate guard confirmed the beach was groomed early Thursday morning and by end of day it was clear from the lack of footprints that there were almost no visitors that day. It was much the same at Compo Beach. The exception here is clearly the more than a score of shorebirds who were taking advantage of the ebb current, the receding tide, to score an easy dinner.
There were more than a dozen Black Crowned Night Herons including a juvenile (brown feathers) who were joined by several both Snowy and Great Egrets as well as the omnipresent seagulls. The only activity was the jostling for position among these beautiful shorebirds to get the best "seat at the table" so to speak.
Westport Installs Bike Repair Stations To Aid Cyclists
Photos & Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
You may have noticed these unusual looking black, tubular objects in several Westport locations and wondered what they are. They are in fact "Fixit" repair stations for helping cyclists traveling through town who may encounter mechanical issues with their bicycles.
They are made by Dero, a company specializing in all things bike related, which offers a myriad of products from various types of bike racks to bike shelters and lockers and more to a global market. Riders simply lift their bikes onto the horizontal hanger bars which allows the pedals and wheels to spin freely while making adjustments, and then utilize the various tools which hang from secured stainless steel cables. Available tools include screw drivers, multiple sized allen and box wrenches, a Torx wrench and tire levers.
Above, Dominic, 6 years old and sister Cordelia, 5 of Westport discover the "Fixit" bike repair station newly installed at the Jesup Green parking lot.
Click on an image to enlarge
The “Fixit” bike repair stations came about at the suggestion of RTM member and avid cyclist Peter Gold who brought the idea to Public Works Director Peter Ratkiewich. They felt that with all the expenditures for transit, new sidewalks and other projects enhancing travel through and about town, a small investment supporting the many cycling enthusiasts and casual riders would be welcome addition to town amenities. They looked at popular bike travel routes including downtown and town beaches and determined the locations for the stations would be the Jesup Green parking lot behind the library, the rear of Town Hall, and both Compo and Old Mill beaches.
Greenwich Polo Club Opens 2023 Season
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
High Goal Polo returned to the Greenwich Polo Club which opened the 2023 season on Sunday, June 4th with the first round of the East Coast Cup series, the Bronze Cup. The season promises lots of exciting polo action as teams compete in the only high goal tournaments on the east coast of the U.S. in the summer season.
The legendary, White Birch Farm team has now combined with Round Hill Polo and they prevailed over another newly formed team, the Roxbury Riders by a single goal scored in the last Chukker, ending the match by the score of 10-9. Both teams were formed with some of the best talent in High Goal Polo playing today.
Match MVP was John Lipman from White Birch Farm/Round Hill . Tommy Biddle of the Roxbury Riders played Best Polo Pony Popona. Part of the excitement of High Goal Polo is the game's lightening pace, with polo ponies achieving speeds of up to 35 MPH and shots on goal traveling at over 100 MPH!
Mohamed Jami of the popular Greenwich based band MOJO kicks of the match with a stirring rendition of our National Anthem.
Greenwich Polo Club will host three more matches in June with gates opening at 1:00 PM each Sunday with play beginning at 3:00 PM. Matches resume after the July 4th break, with a 4 week break in August, with matches beginning again on August 28 running through October 8th.
Greenwich Polo tickets start at $50. per car for open lawn seating with premium options available. Gates open at 1:00 PM. Guests picnic on the grounds bringing their favorite foods and beverages and several gourmet food trucks offer a great menu with craft cocktails offered at the Pony Bar. Leashed dogs are welcome.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
After the match Dj's start the dancing and delicious Argentinian barbecue is available.
The next match open to the public takes place on June 11th. Tickets are available at greenwichpoloclub.com.
The Greenwich Polo Club is recognized as one of the elite high-goal polo venues in the Northeast. Internationally recognized for its rosters of legendary teams and players.
At the end of the match players were presented with their gifts and posed for photos along with the Best Polo Pony, Popona.
Nestled in the beautiful backcountry of Connecticut, Greenwich Polo Club was established in 1981 and is recognized as one of the elite high-goal polo venues in the world. Known for its unmatched roster of legendary teams, professional players, and champion equine athletes, fondly known as polo ponies. Distinguished families, young entrepreneurs, artists, and well-known personalities are all part of the international dynamic which makes Greenwich Polo Club so unique.
Each Sunday match is attended by more than 2,000 spectators flocking from New York City, Fairfield and Westchester counties, to witness the highest caliber of polo while enjoying an afternoon with friends and family. Greenwich Polo Club has also hosted many dignitaries and celebrities and in 2013 Prince Harry chose Greenwich Polo Club to host the Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup. The prestigious match raised funds for the Sentebale charity founded by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in memory of their mothers to raise funds for Lesotho’s most vulnerable children.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.