Compo Playground is Swingin' Again!
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge.
As we reported yesterday, the swings at the new playground at Compo Beach were closed due to issues found in an inspection. The good news is that they are open once again.
Parks & Recreation's Nicholas Quantrano told Westport Local, "Play By Design has been very helpful with offering solutions to the findings in the report. New hardware has to be ordered for some of the swings that remain closed, but we were able to open the remaining swings after tightening up any hardware that was found to be a potential hazard during our third party inspection. P&R also had to temporarily remove two pull up bars due to concrete footings that were found to be too shallow. Play By Design has admitted to overlooking those hazards during their inspection, and will be scheduled to reinstall them properly as soon as possible."
Meanwhile Westport kids can keep swinging'.
The Compo Playground Won't Be "Swinging" For A While
The swings at the newly renovated Compo Playground have been sidelined due to some issues found during an inspection.
Photo By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com
The new and very well-received Compo Beach Playground which was built with the collaboration of construction firm Play By Design and hundreds of volunteers, organized by The 2025 Compo Beach Playground Project group and supported by the Westport Rotary and Westport Young Women's League.
The official opening was on Saturday, May 24 (see Westport Local Press Playground Opening Day) and on Tuesday, July 22 the playground was closed for the day for inspection, part of a 3rd party compliance audit. The result of that inspection determined that there were issues with the swings.
WestportLocalPress reached out to Parks & Rec for an update on the situation. Their Nicholas Quatrano gave us this statement: "I chose to hire a third party to perform a safety inspection of the entire playground after receiving a report of a hardware failure on a swing seat. The failure, caused by an improperly tightened bolt, gave reason to perform an independent inspection of the entire playground out of an abundance of caution. The results of the inspection revealed some issues with the remaining hardware on the swings. The report recommends the swings be closed until the findings are rectified. Parks and Rec closed the swings immediately upon receiving the report on July 25th.”
Quatrano added, “Parks and Recreation is working with the firm that oversaw the renovation (Play By Design) to resolve the safety issues. Until then, the swings will remain closed."
We know we all hope repairs will be completed soon and Compo kids can swing again.
After A Brief Shower, Soundview Summer Stroll Has A Great Turnout
The Soundview Summer Stroll, a gift of 06880’s Dan Woog returned again this year as Soundview Drive became a pedestrian walk with folks enjoying food, music and crafts for the kids. People began showing up in the morning, but a brief shower around noon dispersed some of the visitors as rain was a threat for the day. Fortunately, the skies cleared, the crowd returned and everyone enjoyed a great day of family fun.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Mr. Woog has organized this wonderful event for the second year and has generously provided most of the financial support along with help from the Compo Beach Association, paying the costs of the bands, crafts tables, face painting and the popular photo booth.
The gang from Romanacci’s Old Mill Grocery & Deli offered their superb menu including their world-class pizza Westport has come to love. Their gelato tent was a big hit, given the very warm day.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
As the crowds returned friends including the four-legged kind met up and sometimes had to be untangled. By 2:30 the street was jumping again and folks lined up for food and found a seat on the seawall to enjoy the music.
Above, Rock, Paper, Soul closed out the music performers following Not My Problem (photos below) and opening act Core.
Many folks took advantage of the serene beach scene to enjoy some quality family time.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
One Dad was kept pretty busy on the beach as his son discovered the fun of being spun around over and over, finally wearing Dad out a bit, but nonetheless he kept the fun going.
Knowing the value of “pressing the flesh”, Koda the 7 year old English Cream Golden Retriever and (unoffical) mayor of Compo Beach made sure to keep up with his many admirers.
Above, left, Dan Woog chats with Koda’s Dog Dad, Jim Hood, enjoying seeing friends and getting many wel deserved thank yous for hosting this wonderful Westport New Tradition.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Just Another Sunday On I-95 In Westport
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com
If you absolutely HAVE TO drive south on I-95 in Fairfield County on a Sunday, this is probably what you will find. These photos taken last Sunday from the Hillspoint Rd. bridge show above, looking north and below, looking south.
According to The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) “I-95 between Fairfield and Bridgeport is one of the most heavily traveled roadways in the state, carrying approximately 130,000 vehicles per day. "We don't know if that figure includes Sunday in Westport, but it sure looks likely.
According to their website, CT DOT Press Releases, in 2024 CT DOT launched the I-95 Mobility Study Fairfield/Bridgeport, charged with identifying projects that improve safety, mobility, and operations along the I-95 corridor between Bridgeport and Fairfield.
If you must travel I-95, you can check the live DOT LIve Traffic Camera located at Saugatuck Ave., and the DOT Live Camera at the Sherwood Connector to see what you might be facing. You can page forward from this site to see other live CT DOT traffic cams on I-95.
Also, CT DOT offers a website, CT Roads.org which provides live, up to date information on road conditions on CT roads and highways. The site provides estimated travel times and interactive travel maps, as well as extensive of information on other travel related issues.
The site states, "The outcomes of the planning and environmental linkages study will streamline CTDOT’s project development and environmental review of resulting transportation improvement projects, accelerating project delivery and minimizing overall costs,” said CTDOT Project Manager David Mancini.
For more information on how the DOT is addressing the issue, visit CT DOT for Fairfield Bridgeport. Maybe one day they will announce steps to deal with the kind of congestion that makes this road, shall we say, less than a desirable route to anywhere south of Fairfield County.