WESTPORT — A landmark general store that's been serving up treats from its picturesque home across from the Westport River has gone up for sale this month The Head Town Landing Country Store, a beloved SouthCoast destination since its doors opened in 2008 And it could be yours if the price is right New owners are being sought to take the reins of this longtime riverside gem and hopefully keep alive its tradition as a go-to for all things delicious and locally made The 488 Old County Road property was listed for sale by Equity Real Estate for $1.25 million Its real estate listing calls on prospective buyers to "come by land or sea to take advantage of this profitable business in a prime location!” “Fantastic turnkey opportunity to own a well-established waterfront convenience store with a thriving bakery and donut business Perfectly located on a busy thoroughfare near Westport schools with a loyal customer base The property offers peaceful outdoor seating along the Westport River to enjoy morning coffee and pastry Fully stocked with all the essential items for beachgoers The last scoop? Owner of Westport's Lickety Splits Ice Cream puts business up for sale It is the second Westport community favorite to go on the market in November. The 719 State Road summer staple Lickety Splits was also listed for sale just over a week ago As stated on its website Head Town Landing Country Store is a family-run business that offers "a treat by the river's edge" in more ways than one homemade donut shop and convenience store carrying a large selection of products from local businesses as well as Westport's largest selection of penny candy and vintage novelty toys Outside there's a cozy landscape of Adirondack chairs and picnic tables overlooking the river — across from a seasonal kayak and paddle board rental shop — making it an ideal spot for a picture-perfect break or family outing Husband-and-wife team Rory and Kathy Couturier bought the property in the quaint Head of Westport neighborhood 16 years ago and renovated the building "with the vision of restoring the store to look and feel more like the old time country store that originally stood there in the 1950s," the website states Weekly home sales: Upgraded cape style house in Swansea sold for over $500K who had spent summers in Westport growing up aimed to make the shop "a gathering place for families to come and enjoy all that the Head has to offer."  the year-round operation has expanded from small convenience store to also include a cafe — offering an assortment of Green Mountain Coffee and Jim's Organic hot and iced coffee baked goods and lunch options such as Coney Island hot dogs soup and chili — as well as Kate’s Creamery — serving up more than 40 flavors of Bliss Ice Cream and Del's Frozen Lemonade — and Rory's Donuts baked fresh every morning and popular among patrons from across New England A well-known Westport staple is preparing for a new chapter this was always the store I would walk down to after school (or detention) for a treat before getting a ride form my parents An ice-cold strawberry banana Sobe drink and a Little Debbie Big Honey Bun always did the trick and it was a rendezvous point to pick up extra waters and snacks before a kayak trip Perhaps even one of Rory's famous donuts On Wednesday, February 12, owners Rory and Kathy shared the news in a heartfelt Facebook post expressing gratitude for the support they've received over the years While they’ll miss their daily interactions with loyal customers they’re excited to see the store continue to thrive under fresh leadership The store will remain open and fully operational throughout the transition The bakery will continue serving its signature donuts and pastries and the creamery and coffee center will maintain their current menu the store was listed for sale at $1.25 million in November 2024 chili and iconic treats like Bliss Ice Cream and Del’s Frozen Lemonade Rory and Kathy encourage customers to stop by in the coming weeks and join them in welcoming the new owners Westport’s Head Town Landing Country Store is transitioning to new ownership but will remain open with no changes, according to Facebook.\nRead More On Wednesday, February 12, owners Rory and Kathy shared the news in a heartfelt Facebook post WESTPORT (WBSM) — Westport Police arrested a New Bedford man after he was allegedly carrying an unlicensed firearm while walking in the rain just after 4 a.m to an alarm activation at Westport High School/Middle School located at 400 Old County Road The officers cleared that call and then headed west on Old County Road and encountered a man walking in the heavy rain The man was later identified as Nathan Santana of New Bedford Police said he was walking in a white tank top and sweatpants and told the officers “he had been walking/jogging with a friend but had taken a wrong turn and was lost.” Santana stated the friend was at home,” police said noting he “was also holding a small pink wristlet which he claimed was his girlfriend’s wallet.” officers observed scratches on his arms and back and his clothing was partially covered in blood,” police said officers questioned where his girlfriend was He stated she had dropped him off but forgot the wallet in the car One of the officers then noticed a bulge under Santana’s shirt with indications it could be a firearm He ordered Santana to place his hands on his head and police said the officers located a loaded black semi-automatic handgun in his waistband Santana was arrested and charged with possession of a large capacity firearm without an FID card carrying a loaded firearm without a license possession of a large capacity feeding device and receiving stolen property He was transported to Fall River District Court and has been arraigned officers were able to make contact with the owner of the wallet to ensure her safety,” police said “She was unaware Santana had stolen her wallet." Westport Police arrested a New Bedford man on multiple gun charges as well as receiving stolen property after finding him walking the rain just after 4 a.m.\nRead More WESTPORT (WBSM) — Westport Police arrested a New Bedford man after he was allegedly carrying an unlicensed firearm while walking in the rain just after 4 a.m Serving the best in South Cork News ProudToBeLocal SearchLucy Griffin Appointed Head of People & Culture at Westport Estate Online Journalist5 days ago1 min read  Crosshaven's Lucy Griffin was announced as Head of People & Culture of the prestigious  Westport Estate With over a decade of international experience in HR Griffin will play a pivotal role in driving the estate’s ongoing transformation Griffin served as Head of HR for Oceania at Hillebrand Gori where she led HR operations across Australia and New Zealand through integration She has also held senior roles in Australia with brands including TravelEdge and Wesley College successfully guiding large-scale restructures empowered team is vital to our vision,” said Lucy Griffin Head of People & Culture at Westport Estate creating a workplace culture where employees are consistently learning and developing to ensure guests enjoy exceptional experiences.” “Lucy’s expertise in shaping resilient teams and cultivating a culture of excellence will help drive our mission,” said Barry O’Connor “Her leadership will strengthen our commitment to delivering world-class hospitality as we continue our multi-year redevelopment.” This transformation includes The Grace at Westport Estate a luxury flagship hotel opening in Spring 2026 the rejuvenation of Westport House and its grounds and the introduction of immersive visitor experiences For more see the next edition of The Carrigdhoun Ireland  Show Comments Load More the small team of road workers were still devoting most of their time to repairing storm damage That meant they weren’t fixing other roads in need of regular maintenance mowing roadsides and the other types of work that helps them gird their infrastructure for the next storm my colleague Chloe Bennett and I wrote about these challenges and the steps towns nonprofits and state governments are taking to bolster flood defenses Keep an eye out for a bigger culvert on a road-stream crossing near you Read the full story here.  head of Westport’s department of public works oversees the temporary repair of a culvert over Hoisington Brook on Ledge Hill Road in Westport This first appeared in Zach’s weekly “Water Line” newsletter. Click here to sign up Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" The Adirondack Almanack is a public forum dedicated to promoting and discussing current events nature and outdoor recreation and other topics of interest to the Adirondacks and its communities We publish commentary and opinion pieces from voluntary contributors as well as news updates and event notices from area organizations Contributors include veteran local writers and outdoor enthusiasts from around the Adirondack region views and opinions expressed by these various authors are not necessarily those of the Adirondack Almanack or its publisher A quaint store in Westport is excited to announce a significant milestone in its storied history Country Woolens is getting a change of hands and it's a spectacular move that will keep family values thriving which has been a staple of the community for over 45 years is being passed from Ann Squire to her son and daughter-in-law has dedicated decades of hard work and passion to building the store from the ground up Her tireless dedication and commitment have created countless stories and memories shaping the very core of this local treasure as the store embarks on its 48th year of business Ann is passing the torch to the next generation Ben and Liz Squire have been integral parts of the business for the past 11 years working closely with Ann to ensure a seamless transition They are thrilled to continue the store’s legacy and assure customers that they will maintain the same high-quality service and product selection that patrons have come to love Country Woolens offers a curated selection of high-quality apparel for men featuring esteemed brands such as Patagonia The store is known for its personalized customer service and small-town charm with a children's department that is particularly popular for its great gift options and durable clothing perfect for hand-me-downs Recognized as a Neighborhood Favorite on Nextdoor, Country Woolens has built a reputation for its unique product selection and customer service As Ben and Liz Squire step into their new roles they expressed their gratitude for Ann’s shared knowledge They look forward to welcoming customers and creating new memories together ensuring that Country Woolens remains a cherished part of Westport for years to come Gallery Credit: Michael Rock Country Woolens in Westport, transitions ownership from founder Ann Squire to her son Ben and daughter-in-law Liz, as they continue the family business into its 48th year.\nRead More 🐑 It is with great enthusiasm for the future that we announce the transfer of ownership of Country.. Recognized as a Neighborhood Favorite on Nextdoor, Country Woolens has built a reputation for its unique product selection and customer service WESTPORT — Much has been written by local historians about Westport’s long and proud history as one of the earliest settlements of the Massachusetts Bay Colony but the town’s heritage as an early center of shipbuilding in the region is less well known Westport Historical Society member Ray Shaw has set out to fill in that gap in town history with research into the roots of the shipbuilding industry along Westport’s rivers one of the world’s best known home ports during the golden age of whaling in the 1800s Shaw presented some of his early findings about “The Shipbuilding Heritage of Westport” in a recent lecture hosted by the historical society at the Paquachuck Inn a Westport Point landmark overlooking the town landing where many whaling ships were once docked extends eight miles into the countryside from the Point up to the village known as The Head of Westport and where the town’s boat-building heritage likely got its start The historical record reports young Westport merchant Paul Cuffee as conducting his coastal trading business and making runs out to the islands of Buzzards Bay during the Revolutionary War with his own small boats The first big ships he built at his East Branch farm and shipyard were the Hope and the Ranger both thought to be launched from the east bank of the river in 1795 Several more commercial trading vessels would be built there in later years Shaw’s long list of many of the ships built or home-ported in Westport in the 18th and 19th centuries started with the ship Wasp built around 1790 by Caleb Tripp and William Davis at a boatyard on the east bank of the East Branch The second on the “confirmed” list of local ships handed out at the March 3 lecture was the Polly built in 1790 at Westport Point by Alex Cory Cory would later launch the sloop Westport (1803) and the schooner Rhoda (1804) from shipyards at the Point One of the last ships on the list provided by Shaw listed the schooner Kate Cory 132-ton whaling vessel built in 1856 and burned by the Confederate raider Alabama in 1863 as another Corey-owned ship built in Westport The first locally built long-distance whaling ships were said to be launched between 1750 and 1760 but smaller skiffs and catboats for river and coastal fishing were undoubtedly built and employed much earlier The 1914 “History of the Village of Westport Point” by Katharine Stanley Hall and Mary Hannah Sowle notes that the early settlers of Westport Point “turned from cod catching on the Nantucket and Newfoundland shoals” to coastal whaling well before 1806 The early history tapped the memories of some of the town’s oldest residents with ties to the nautical trades to document the importance of the cod fishing industry in the 1700s: “The oldest of a prosperous fleet of sloops was the Union The time came about 1831 when the sloops and schooners bringing supplies of every description to fit out the whalers leaving this port This change from fishing to freighting was gradual remembers when large quantities of cod were to be seen drying on the flakes furnished the necessary material for curing.” Cuffee and others took part in the growing coastal trade and the triangle trade bringing dried fish and other foodstuffs to the slave plantations of the West Indies while other Massachusetts and Rhode Island vessels helped transport slaves from Africa to both the West Indies and American slave plantations Whether crafting small fishing boats or merchant sloops and schooners the shipbuilding business in Westport boomed after the end of the American Revolution in 1783 and both the shipyard work and outfitting long-distance whalers turned into a critical part of the town’s economy Hundreds of local residents would have been employed cutting trees milling lumber and transporting planks to the shipyards or making staves for barrels to carry water flour and salted meat on whaling voyages and the whale oil they would bring home forging the barrel hoops and ships’ hardware or making sails and rigging needed for every ship “Westport was a significant hub of the whaling industry,” Shaw said and Westport Point would become well known all over the globe as its ships sailed the seven seas Remnants of granite piers on the East Branch at the Cuffee farm “remain as evidence of the importance of commercial trading” in the town before the golden years of whaling A host of historical sources also help provide “an awful lot of evidence that there was a lot of shipbuilding going on there,” he said of the East Branch shipyards operated by Cuffee and other builders blacksmith shops and cooperages (barrel-making shops) surrounding the town landing collectively what Westport Historical Society president Tony Connors described as “an industrial village,” supported the early shipyards was the only large whaling ship built at the Head of Westport up to 1805 probably due to the fact that big ships couldn’t pass under Hix Bridge The building of the first Hix Bridge in 1738 threatened to destroy the upriver boat-building industry but Yankee ingenuity prevailed as the shipbuilders learned practical methods for portaging their finished hulls around the bridge The completed hulls would be hauled out of the river at a low section of riverbank and dragged onto rollers to be carried around the bridge the hull would be slid back down into the river for the rest of the trip to Westport Point where masts and rigging would be installed has made a number of pencil drawings to show how early ships could have been built including an illustration of the portage around the bridge which he used to add flavor to his slide show and lecture One picture showed the whale weather vane atop the house at the Head of Westport once owned by Peleg Cornell the expert whaling ship master who made 20 voyages between 1831 and 1870 much of the bustling village was involved in the whaling and trading business in the 1800s When a member of the audience at the Paquachuck Inn asked about sail-making shops in the village Connors was quick to point out “the third floor of this building was a sail loft.” The modern-day inn was once a provisions store owned by Point merchant Isaac Cory (1746-1832) one of the many businessmen who profited from outfitting the ships that sailed from Westport Point in the heyday of whaling Another excerpt from “The History of the Village of Westport Point” supports Shaw’s contention that whaling became the town’s economic lifeblood: “As whaling grew the business life of the town came to be centered at the wharf Gifford and others was owned in 1829 by Isaac Palmer dispensed that beverage so favored by sailors — grog One floor of Palmer's store was a sail loft under the partial management of Durfee and Palmer also kept a tavern in the house now owned by Clementine F “Another store of this same period which was doing active business in 1831 was that of Mayhew and Macomber (later) On the lower floor in a store owned by Davis Upstairs the tailoring work was carried on and sewing intended for sailors' outfits was called slop-work Opposite this establishment a large building was erected by Alexander H Cory in 1841 on the site of his grandfather's store This was for many years the chief outfitting store and post office and here sails for whaling vessels were made and the lot which is now William Rowland's garden was a storage place for casks of oil,” reads the 1914 report on the previous century’s business scene Most of the ships built in town were home-ported at Westport Point having been made for local owners or Westport-based partnerships rather than for sale elsewhere Many were built and then home-ported in nearby New Bedford home to key whaling industry families such as the Rotches and the Howlands The Rotches bought some of the Head of Westport mills and forges to produce the raw materials they needed to build their whaling fleet The major role that the shipbuilding industry played in Westport’s economy was demonstrated by a long list of jobs created by the shipyards and another long list of materials needed for a typical whaling voyage that might last two or three years: 75 bolts of duck cloth (sail canvas) and many cords of firewood for cooking and boiling down whale blubber into oil The crew’s needs for a long voyage would require loading up with 150 barrels of flour The ship’s hold would contain as many as 25,000 wooden staves needed to make barrels to carry whale oil and some eight tons of hoop iron to assemble those barrels Much of the food supplies for those ships would come from local farms and teamsters would carry those loads to the ships with local horses and teams of oxen Those wagons and drivers would later be called on to transport delivered barrels of whale oil to storage yards or nearby cities the merchant shipping business and the growth of the whaling industry provided jobs wealth and prosperity for an independent Westport after its separation from Dartmouth Shipbuilding played an important role in the town’s development and Shaw promised to help continue the exploration of that legacy until the full story is known Looking for something fun to do on a Saturday You might want to check out the River Day Celebration on June 22 from 10 a.m It's a free event organized by the Westport River Watershed Alliance a nonprofit group  committed to protecting the river and educating young people about its importance Deborah Weaver is Executive Director of the WRWA She stopped by Townsquare Sunday to discuss River Day and the work done by the Alliance The Westport River Watershed Alliance is continuing its mission to protect and preserve the watershed Its vision: a healthy watershed where people and was formerly known as the Westport River Defense Fund "We continue to do long-term water testing in the river with results being submitted to the state," Weaver said "We also are embedded in local schools providing hands-on learning in science and environmental studies both in the classroom and around the river." "We also work with the town of Westport on best practices for environmental protection including water quality and protection of drinking water," she said Weaver said River Day is a celebration of the river itself There will be nonprofit vendors on both sides of the river and providing activities for children.  Also Native tribal members called the Eastern Medicine Singers will do a drum-and-song circle at 11 a.m "Visitors will also get the chance to meet an amazing man who is a direct descendant of Paul Cuffee of Westport a noted New Bedford Whaler and businessman who started the first schools in Westport," Weaver said WRWA is also bringing in some “wandering artists” to engage people as they juggle, sing and entertain, as well as mini horses from Archangel Equestrian If you would like your organization featured on Townsquare Sunday, please email the host at jim.phillips@townsquaremedia.com The Westport River Watershed Alliance is continuing its mission to protect and preserve the watershed, now and for future generations.\nRead More WRWA is also bringing in some “wandering artists” to engage people as they juggle, sing and entertain, as well as mini horses from Archangel Equestrian If you would like your organization featured on Townsquare Sunday, please email the host at jim.phillips@townsquaremedia.com WESTPORT — Get ready for an expansive view of the town's history, as the Westport Historical Society presents "Retro Perspective: Panoramic Vistas from Westport’s Past," an exhibit on view at the Westport Free Public Library This free exhibition will be on view from Jan Featuring 22 historical panoramic views of Westport as well as fascinating tiny details of everyday life the Head of Westport and Westport Point to the Harbor these images reveal Westport as it appeared in the early 1900s — on the cusp of modernity but still very much in the horse and buggy era From a collection of many hundreds of historical images this exhibition presents a select few that The images have been digitally merged to form a single view and enlarged from small 3 x 5 inch postcards to as wide as four feet “The large size of the prints provides an immersive experience for the viewer,” Jenny O’Neill Westport Historical Society Executive Director “It’s almost like being at that particular location and at that particular point in time.” The rural landscape depicted in these images delineated by an intricate maze of stone walls and wood fences “Today it would be impossible to take a comparable photo because our views are generally obscured by trees,” said O’Neill These images are instantly accessible to the general viewer Many of the buildings shown in these photographs still exist making it easy to recognize many locations and to compare then and now “I hope visitors can look at these images from both a macro and a micro perspective,” O’Neill said “I especially enjoy picking out the many details such as the washing hanging out to dry on a clothes-line or the haphazard outbuildings in backyards We offer a special photo detective scavenger hunt to engage younger audiences.” This exhibition represents the work of three photographers — Oscar Edwin Dubois John Howland and The Eastern Illustrating and Publishing Company — and draws from several collections The Westport Historical Society holds an extensive postcard collection The exhibition also includes images from the Penobscot Marine Museum and from privately held collections large-format wooden cameras which were difficult to carry without a horse and buggy Dubois’ horse and buggy can be spotted in a number of images in this exhibition lived on Pine Hill Road in Westport and took many photographs at the Head of Westport Most of his images survive in the format of “real photo” postcards The Eastern Illustrating and Publishing Company focused on small rural towns of New England A small crew of photographers traveled throughout this region capturing images of locally known landmarks the negatives survived and the collection is now at the Penobscot Marine Museum A selection of images are available for purchase Proceeds will support the Westport Historical Society The Westport Historical Society’s collection encompasses thousands of photographs and postcards. The entire collection of photographs can be browsed or searched at www.wpthistory.org/collection/online-collections-database Visit www.wpthistory.org/retro-perspective for further details WESTPORT (WBSM) — We now know what happened with the deceased coyote pup found on the side of the road in Westport with a pair of sweatpants tied around its neck and it turns out it was from someone who was just trying to help A coyote pup was found on the side of Route 177 on Monday morning with the sweatpants tied around it and Becki McElroy alerted Westport Animal Control who said it had to be removed by the state highway department since it was on a state road but nobody knew why it had the sweatpants tied around it READ MORE: Westport Deceased Coyote Found With Sweatpants Tied Around It After we shared this story on social media on Tuesday the person who brought the sweatpants was trying to comfort and save the coyote after it was hit by another vehicle although she asked that we did not identify her It happened around midnight Sunday into Monday and the young lady who went to try to help the animal had a clothing donation bag in her car and placed the sweatpants under the coyote’s head and called the Westport Police non-emergency line Despite being told someone would come out and attend to the animal “They (were) advised someone would head out that evening Clearly they didn’t,” the young lady’s mother said on Instagram “This was a case of young ladies having empathy and staying with the injured animal until it passed.” No one is exactly sure how the sweatpants came to be tied around the coyote but it happened after the animal had passed away We found out what happened to the deceased coyote pup found on the side of the road in Westport with a pair of sweatpants tied around its neck.\nRead More WESTPORT (WBSM) — We now know what happened with the deceased coyote pup found on the side of the road in Westport with a pair of sweatpants tied around its neck READ MORE: Westport Deceased Coyote Found With Sweatpants Tied Around It I've spent the majority of my life in Westport and have never seen anything like this As my wife and I left a visit with my parents over the weekend we noticed something strange in the sky from a distance and decided to take a closer look that's when we realized what was hovering over an old farm Hundreds of birds were circling one another in a majestic yet eerie dance above a dusty field full of old farm equipment It was nothing less than mesmerizing as a swarm of gulls blackbirds and other smaller birds made a furious rotation above Mike Perry's Twin Willow Farm I suppose there could have been a dead animal or something on the ground but as I waited to see if the birds eventually swoop down but even it doesn't do the scene justice I've heard stories of odd behavior birds will display in bad weather but it was a Top 10 day with a rare visit from the sun after weeks of clouds I'm aware of "murmurations," in which birds will swarm in large groups to share information on food sources or even when predators are within sight but this was mid-afternoon in an open field. I was not aware of any food or nearby predators If any ornithologists in the area could explain what exactly I was seeing Shoot me an email at Gazelle@Fun107.com and talk birds with me Hundreds of birds were seen swarming the sky in Westport above an open field.\nRead More Five lawmakers might have spent months thinking they had a casual stroll to reelection this fall but they will now face major-party opponents after a batch of candidates secured last-minute spots on the ballot Half a dozen people received enough write-in signatures in last week's primary election and filed the necessary paperwork to receive a party's nomination as senator or representative Secretary of State William Galvin's office confirmed boosting the amount of competition in a cycle where voters in many districts have few choices One of those candidates, Christopher Thrasher of Westport, will challenge for an open House seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Paul Schmid of Westport. The others will create head-to-head reelection contests for three state representatives and two state senators To make the ballot through traditional means candidates had to file nomination papers with the secretary of state's office by May 28 'It's been an incredible honor to serve' State Rep. Paul Schmid, D-Westport, announces he won't seek re-election in fall But there's another route Candidates who missed the earlier deadline could also earn their party's nomination by winning the primary as a write-in candidate and securing at least as many write-in votes as the signatures required to make the ballot — 300 for senator 150 for representative — then submitting a written nomination acceptance and a receipt from the State Ethics Commission Forty-two House districts and 12 Senate districts will now feature contested general elections in November as a result of the write-in nominations That's an increase over the 39 House Districts and 10 Senate districts that previously forecast to have actual competition but still only a shade above one in four out of all 200 legislative seats up for grabs write-in success means the GOP will challenge the Democrat who two years ago won by the narrowest margin possible Kassner will now need to fend off a challenge from the GOP's Mark Tashjian a business owner and member of Georgetown's Finance Committee Tashjian touts himself as an entrepreneur and owner of a "successful polo club." Top issues on his campaign site include shifting some school-related decisions to the "parental or school district level," incentivizing more middle-income housing and boosting transparency "on where your tax dollars go." A pair of senators are now set for contested reelection bids as well Republican candidate Dashe Videira of Franklin made the ballot to challenge Democrat Sen Becca Rausch of Needham in a Senate district that cuts across parts of Norfolk Rausch won reelection with about 55 percent of the vote against former Republican Rep Rausch herself took office by narrowly defeating GOP Sen before the district was redrawn in redistricting Democrat challenger Sheila Dibb of Rutland secured enough primary write-in votes to face Republican Sen Durant is seeking his first full term after winning a special election last year which flipped the district formerly held by Democrat Sen Dibb is the only Democrat running for a legislative seat who earned a spot on the general-election ballot through a write-in campaign All of the candidates who earned their party's nomination to the House through write-in votes are Republicans South Coast Rail: MBTA manager plans another timeline update. Here's what might be coming. Gerald Joseph O'Connell of Yarmouth will challenge first-term Democrat Rep who two years ago flipped the Cape Cod district previously held by Republican Rep Carmine Gentile of Sudbury will now face only his second general election opponent since he first won in 2014 Wayland Republican Virginia Gardner got enough write-in votes to oppose Gentile who easily defeated GOP contender Ingrid Centurion in 2020 a Democrat and vice chair of Westport's Select Board and three unenrolled candidates: Jesse Gelais of Acushnet The Republican newcomer to the ballot is also involved in Westport town government as a member of the School Committee and Finance Committee The Eighth Bristol district has not elected a Republican state representative since some time before 1970 but Republicans are hopeful they can compete Schmid won with 53.5 percent of the vote to 46.4 percent for Republican Evan Gendreau Westport River Watershed Alliance Board members Tom Schmitt and Charles Appleton were having a conversation during the annual June River Day by the Head of Westport Landing Appleton looked at the abandoned garage by the river and suggested that the WRWA convert it into its headquarters “Pinch me” were the words Schmitt jokingly said after a Friday afternoon ceremony across from the building Michael Rodrigues were among a handful of people to don helmets and grab shovels to celebrate this project moving forward Schmitt called it a dream to witness the two-story historical garage used for various trades and as a blacksmith shop enter the closing phases of becoming “The River Center.” Appleton and others have spent countless hours at zoning garnering all the necessary permits for the project to move forward WRWA Executive Director Deborah Weaver said one year from now there will be another ceremony -- “a ribbon cutting.” “Thank you for being stewards to your natural assets here,” Polito told a crowd of around 30 people gathered across the street from the garage “It takes peoples like you to wake up a place,” Polito added Polito noted that the Head of Westport is being transformed into a well developed area of town a popular country store and soon a River Center where the WRWA will create office space and an environmental education center Rodrigues said the latter distinction is especially fitting He remembers taking swim lessons at that spot more than five decades ago Rodrigues also said that the spot carries historical significance serving as a water pathway from Plymouth to Aquidneck Island Polito joined some of the same local dignitaries at the same spot The town received the state Seaport Economic grant to the tune of $249,000 to rehab the landing area These plans coincide with the WRWA’s plans “We are trying to find a balance with aesthetics of the neighborhood and preserve the historical features of the property and improve public access to the site,” Gioso said Gioso said new site plans call for more handicap-accessible parking and for cars to parallel park without encroaching on the oncoming travel lanes Gioso said there is now a proposed handicap accessible crosswalk and pedestrian walkways so people can walk to the Head of Westport Landing Noting the adjacent kayak store to the landing area Gioso said there will be a paved launching area and more clearly defined travel and parking lanes He mentioned that there will also be a clockwise turnaround for traffic with a maintenance and utility area; a second floor with office space and bathrooms where there will be four compostable toilets The WRWA has said that these compostable toilets will prevent any pollution or environmental harm which will offer an extension of the attic and shed dormers along the front and rear of the building will also offer more office space and an educational area running the clock for the Westport Wildcats was his life and he loved every moment of it Pierre was welcomed back with open arms to watch the Westport Wildcats take on the Fairhaven Blue Devils in a varsity men's basketball game admiring his love for the sport as he watched the teams go head-to-head with each full-court press He may have known why he was there that night but he was astounded once he felt the pride of Westport shower him with love Pierre was the ticking heartbeat at each home game as hundreds of Westport athletes looked upon the giant scoreboard clock he once managed His recognition was long overdue and well-deserved Pierre was ushered by his two sons Robert St New Bedford attorney and former Wildcat Mike Friar along with Westport Athletic Hall of Fame Chairman David Collins With deepest appreciation for your unselfish contribution and steadfast commitment for 57 years to the Westport Wildcats Program serving as their timekeeper.Our Sincere Thanks -- Wildcats Friar went on to deliver a speech that defined the hard work and true character St "I am here tonight on behalf of the Westport High Athletic Hall of Fame as we recognize our greatest fan JFK was the president and John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth Bob took over as the clock and scoreboard operator Bob dutifully served both the boys and girls programs faithfully manning the clock and scoreboard. During these 57 years Bob was far and away the greatest of Wildcat fans and was witness to the highest highs and a few character-building lows Bob was there to support many great coaches such as Skip Karam Bob was there to follow '70s greats: H.O.F to follow Hall of Famers Sue Medeiros and the Albanese Sisters -- Jen and Jill and their great teams of the '80s Bob was on the clock for Mike Roy's '84 boys team The first team in years to win 70% of its games and what most consider the team that turned Westport from a Farm town into a basketball town Bob was there to support Krisitn Gizzi and the Farias sisters- Kate and Jen as they got win after win From the power game of Allen Levrault to the silky smooth scoring of Kyle Fernandes and the wizardry of Mike Noonan and the Sectional Championship team under Tim Plante Bob saw the gym rain with three-pointers from Matt Medeiros a true gentleman and great representation of Westport Athletes." Pierre's loyalty to the Westport community I couldn't help but look back and remember my time as a varsity Wildcat The year was 2005 when both the men and women's basketball team went the distance almost securing the state championship. Win or lose one thing was consistent and that was the loyalty of St He always had a smile and a pack of original Wrigley's juicy fruit gum he would often share with the athletes Pierre was making his way back to the bleachers to continue watching the second half of the game I shook his hand and asked him to describe the Westport athletic community and comradeship in one word Legendary Westport timekeeper Bob St. Pierre got special recognition for nearly 60 years of service to town athletics.\nRead More Westport River Watershed Alliance meets COVID challenge with videos and virtual learningThe Herald NewsWESTPORT — The Westport River Watershed Alliance an environmental nonprofit dedicated to science and education has had to modify its usual planned activities during the past year of COVID-19 This year was supposed to be a year for opening up their new River Center to visitors and students to experience the wonderfully equipped resource and learning area From cancelling fundraising events and limiting visitor experiences socially distanced school and summer programs nothing about the past many months has been normal One important way that WRWA has adapted to this drastically changed environment has been to focus on educational videos created within the Westport River watershed Education Director Shelli Costa and her summer interns and Commonwealth Corps service volunteers have been busy exploring our local natural environment and sharing interesting findings with videos available to the public through their website Many of these are intended for students in the Westport Community Schools but there is always something new to learn for adults as well They are part of the Wonders of the Watershed series funded in part from a grant from the Helen Ellis Charitable Fund through the Westport Cultural Council WRWA also enlisted the talents of filmmaker Alex Haggert to create a feature-style film this past summer focused on the history and mission of the Watershed Alliance It showcases the beauty of the river and tributaries with high quality drone footage with interviews examining the history of the Head of Westport anecdotes from longtime Westport residents and in-depth descriptions of environmental challenges and solutions for water quality in the Westport River Watershed Haggert collaborated with WRWA to make the film as his “Capstone Project” in video production at New England Tech. He is also a certified drone pilot, which enabled him to capture unique and stunning views of the River. The videos are all accessible through the organization’s website: www.westportwatershed.org The Watershed Alliance looks forward to fully opening up its new River Center at the Head of Westport in the coming months as new hope for containment of the COVID-19 pandemic is on the horizon The education center features aquariums with native species a high powered microscope for examining sea and river life and a virtual reality sand table that captivates and delights with high tech interactive imagery To keep up with what is happening at the River Center in 2021 those interested can subscribe to WRWA’s free monthly newsletter by emailing outreach@wrwa.com or visit the website listed above WESTPORT — The Westport River Watershed Alliance Winter Speaker Series continues with a look at oceanic conservation efforts and changes in the seafood industry Partners Village Store and Westport River Watershed Alliance will present author Nicholas P Sullivan for a book signing and discussion of his new book The talk will take place both via Zoom and in-person at the River Center In a fast-growing world where more people are eating more fish than ever before "The Blue Revolution" bringsencouraging news for conservationists and seafood lovers about the transformation of an industry historicallyaverse to change and it presents fresh inspiration for entrepreneurs and investors eager for newopportunities in a blue-green economy overfishing has been a worrisome problem with few answers Many of the global fishstocks are at a dangerous tipping point But as older fishing fleets retire andnew technologies develop more sustainable way to farm this popular protein has emerged toprofoundly shift the balance "The Blue Revolution" tells the story of the recent transformation of commercial fishing: an encouraging change from maximizing volume through unrestrained wild hunting to maximizing value through controlled harvesting and farming smarter technologies are modernizing fisheries in unprecedented ways the seafood on our plates is increasingly the product of smart decisions about ecosystems Those interested in attending either in-person or online should call 508-636-3016 Books will be available for purchase from Partners Village Store WESTPORT — The fire at the Ferry farm on Gifford Road covered more ground than any town fire in decades according to fire personnel and town officials But from the disaster rose some great teamwork and excellent firefighting Deputy Fire Chief Allen Manley and town selectmen Selectmen reflected on this blaze during a recent meeting which wiped out multiple barns and 80 years of farming work and memories at the Ferry farm the fire did not claim the lives of any people or animals and did not damage the Ferry home or farmhouse on site Legendre called it the largest fire in town in two decades Manley recently confirmed that it certainly covered the most ground — 32,000 square feet He added that he cannot think of any fire since the 1980s that covered the same volume of area might have surpassed the Ferry blaze's volume Manley said the Ferry fire is still under investigation He and others believe that an electrical malfunction ignited the blaze Ferry dispelled the rumor that fertilizer helped spread the blaze Manley said fire and other officials worried about fertilizer run-off into the river and other environmental factors Fire officials do not believe it played a role in spreading the fire Manley emphasized the significance of how no lives were claimed in the blaze He attributes some of these good fortunes to the great firefighting involved Many firefighters fought instinct and acted professionally by keeping the areas around the blaze cool rather than attack the blaze head-on "It really is a matter of fighting basic firefighter instinct to put water on the fire," he said This action prevented the fire from further spreading Old County Road resident Joseph Ingoldsby recently reflected on this point He said the house on the property was build by owner Michael Ferry's father and represents the Ferry farm history in town Manley and others heaped high praise on some of the neighboring fire districts and communities Manley said the fire department was "behind the 8-ball" to begin with because there were no hydrants in the area Fire personnel had to rely on a tanker traveling back and forth to the nearby Westport River Manley said the town fire department's involvement in the Bristol County Tank Task Force played a major role in constantly shuttling a tanker truck on scene Firefighters were able to pump an estimated 1,500 gallons per minute Westport also received help from all three Dartmouth fire districts as well as the Rhode Island communities of Little Compton manning the Westport stations during the fire the Head of Westport Neighborhood Association has reached out to the family and established a fund where people can send donations the larger community can give a helping hand for the future of farming in this Right to Farm Community," Ingoldsby recently said make checks to Michael and Ferry Fire Fund Send checks to the Westport Federal Credit Union on 655 State Road Westport Historical Society President Tony Connors breezed through 15,000 years of history in his first of three lectures on the town’s historical legacy In part two of the lecture series March 21 taking another capacity crowd of history lovers at the Paquachuck Inn through a short century — the years 1785 to 1865 Covered in the second installment were Westport’s successful 1787 petition to the state legislature to become a separate town from Dartmouth; the 40 years of boundary disputes with Dartmouth and Rhode Island that gave old Acoaxet its modern borders; and the growing pains associated with setting up town government and a public school system Connors used the stories of important Westport historical figures to help illustrate the town’s growth from a sparsely settled agriculture-based economy at the end of the American Revolution to a major player in the state’s economy whaling and other maritime-related industries Internationally known Quaker merchant Captain Paul Cuffe colonial trader and privateer Captain Isaac Cory founders of North Westport’s first modern factory were among the notables given starring roles in this talk In the period dating from the end of the American Revolution in 1783 to the heyday of the whaling industry in the 1850s More than just a successful shipbuilder and coastal trader Cuffe would become a nationally known advocate for the rights of people of color in his home state and an international player in the Back to Africa movement Cuffe was the son of former slave and skilled carpenter Cuffe Slocum and Gay Head Wampanoag Ruth Moses When his hard-working father bought a large farm in Westport and moved his family there the stage was set for Cuffe’s start on a life of success that seems made for the movies Cuffe first went whaling on Rotch and Wainer ships out of New Bedford being captured by the Royal Navy on one of his earliest voyages during the American Revolution He spent three months on a British prison ship before returning to Westport where the young sailor built his own small boat with the carpentry skills likely learned from his father and embarked on a career as a coastal trader Cuffe risked the Royal Navy blockades to help keep the coastal islands provisioned with food and supplies during the war years he was successful enough to buy his own farm off Drift Road where he set up a shipyard and commercial dock to continue the expansion of his maritime trading business He was already known as a civil rights pioneer having petitioned Dartmouth officials with his brother in 1781 “to be exempt from taxation unless town meeting gave him and other non-white residents the same voting rights and citizen privileges as white people,” Connors said and he spent time in jail for non-payment of taxes.” The voting rights debate was carried on in the state legislature with that body voting in 1783 to give people of color the rights of full citizenship in the Bay State Cuffe's business success enabled him to become a philanthropist as well and he paid for the construction and operation of a “free school” for children of any race in his hometown “possibly the first unsegregated schoolhouse in Massachusetts,” Connors said the shipbuilder and captain was partnering in whaling and trading ventures with William Rotch and other prominent Quakers Soon the all-black and Native American crews on his trading vessels were attracting notoriety in ports here and abroad and whaling magnate William Rotch was referring to his mixed-race associate as “the richest man in Westport,” Connors said The success and fame soon led to Cuffe’s involvement with the Back to Africa movement — a government-backed initiative to relocate freed slaves to new colonies in Sierra Leone Cuffe embraced the Back to Africa effort more vigorously using his own ship and funds to equip and transport 38 black Americans to Sierra Leone Abner Brownell was the Cuffe contemporary who Connors cited as being the town’s first town clerk and treasurer elected at the first town meeting held in the fall of 1787 at Thomas Gifford’s house at the Head of Westport Three selectmen and a dozen highway surveyors were also elected to help run the fledgling town where every landowner was expected to contribute money or labor and equipment to the maintenance of public roads A total of 15 “tithing men” were also appointed to report on the drinking swearing and other shameful activities of residents who would be fined for their inappropriate public behavior The first “town house” or public meeting place was later established at the corner of Main and Adamsville roads being “centrally located” and easily accessed by early residents of the community It took much longer for the new town to conform to state laws governing public schools with state pressure finally forcing the town to hire a schoolmaster and approve a school budget in 1801 Relief for poor and homeless residents was one of the major town expenses in the early 1800s leading to the 1824 purchase of the Town Farm on Drift Road The town’s oldest residents “still have bad memories of the place It was not a place where you wanted to end up” on public welfare as hard labor and poor living conditions were the norm there That topic led to the introduction of Charlotte White the daughter of a freed slave and a Native American mother who is often mentioned in early town records as a caretaker of the poor and disabled in Westport Her father “Zip” White was once owned by White-Cadman Handy House property owner George White Noted as a midwife and folk medicine expert White probably inspired the success of another Westport contemporary whose opium-laced “Perry Davis’ Pain Killer” was one of the biggest-selling patent medicines of the time Connors described White as “a really interesting character” who reinforces Westport’s early history as a place where Wampanoag and black residents forged a special connection with white society Nowhere was that interacial connection stronger than in the early whaling industry where many people of color found worthwhile employment thanks to Westport’s early association with the Rotch family and the shipbuilding empire that included production facilities such as Westport sawmills and iron forges The first Westport whaling ship was the Union shipbuilding was a major growth industry in Westport and taverns came to populate Westport Point where ships were floated downriver from the shipyards at the Head of Westport for rigging and outfitting at the harbor more than 50 whale ships were operating out of Westport Point the Point was eighth on the national list of whaling home ports Connors was pleased to be able to look out the windows of the Paquachuck Inn and point to the places where Westport whalers were built and docked The old Westport family was founded by Captain Isaac Cory whose ancestors were among the original followers of exiled religious agitator Anne Hutchinson Corey was a coastal trader and occasional privateer who occasionally partnered with Cuffe on maritime business ventures His 1820s nautical supply store at the Point is now a bed and breakfast inn overlooking a still-busy fishing port perhaps the town’s most famous whaling ship The ship had great success until it was captured and burned by the notorious Confederate raider the Alabama off Brazil during the Civil War was the last of the Westport-built whaling ships It collected 1,000 barrels of whale oil on its first trip completing 20 voyages before ending its original career Other whalers would continue operating out of New Bedford until 1924 While Connors’ first lecture noted that Westport residents tapped water power for their first mills in 1712 the establishment of the first cotton mill in the north end of town in 1812 marked the beginning of a new chapter in Westport history The early ventures were never terribly successful but eventually gave the riverfront neighborhood on the Dartmouth-Westport border the name "Westport Factory." The Lewis brothers bought the site in 1854 converting the Westport Manufacturing Company site to the production of low-cost household items such as mop heads using waste cotton from Fall River mills is well documented in the Westport Historical Society’s collections and archives The mills off today’s Route 6 provided employment to generations of local workers The 1800s brought a wide variety of changes to mostly rural Westport as illustrated in the final “notable character” in Saturday’s lecture: George H an interesting fellow “who really took public service seriously,” Connors said Gifford was the son of a blacksmith who married into the prestigious Howland clan He trained as a teacher but later turned to farming and tried his hand at whaling in 1837 during a nationwide depression Gifford eventually settled into the shingle-making business on Mouse Mill Road before finding his true calling in life — government service Gifford started as an overseer of town landings town clerk and town treasurer throughout the 1840s He served a year as a state legislator before becoming involved in the growing Temperance Movement a national effort to stamp out the growing scourge of public drunkenness among men of the time The movement came to Westport in the form of a temperance meeting place at the Head of Westport called Washingtonian Hall which survives to this day as a private residence off Drift Road Gifford became a major figure in the local movement despite his earlier fondness for drink Gifford is remembered as the town’s most dedicated public servant “and I don’t think we’ll ever see another man like him” in Westport government history The final installment of the three-part lecture series is set for Saturday Visit wpthistory.org to reserve space for the talk covering Westport history from the Civil War to the modern day WESTPORT — There were once 201 historic powder houses in New England and only 54 are still in existence six of those houses — used by militiamen — are made of wood and one overlooks the Westport River according to research conducted by town resident John Bell local town carpenter Nathaniel Allen and fellow tradesman Brock Leiendecker the tiny shed-like house just received a 21st Century makeover one day in summer 2015 took his children to visit the town’s historical ammunition storage house by the Head of Westport town landing Bell said that this summer day in 2015 was quite memorable as he was taken aback by the poor condition of the 9-foot by 9-foot storage house once honorably used by local militiamen to store musket balls he initiated efforts to restore the structure and his efforts led him to meet with a few town boards garnering permission from the Community Preservation Committee the Landing Commission and the Historic Commission Selectmen also rubber stamped it this fall The CPC also appropriated $11,392 from its funds toward the project “Nobody opposed it whatsoever; some gave me money for it Bell said town authorities put him in charge and luckily he found Allen a local who specializes in historic restoration Allen was looking for his first building restoration endeavor With a fresh-cut wood smell and appearance the powder house found its right man in Allen who worked to preserve as much of the original structure as possible Allen encountered deterioration in parts of the building and could only salvage five pieces of the original trim Allen kept everything as close to home and as native to Westport as possible selecting a local saw mill and a nearby oak tree for the wood he needed other local entities pitched in where they could A local blacksmith donated the hardware on the door and the Highway Department has helped with landscaping Bell noted that funds fell short by $1,400 so the respective town police and fire associations donated $250 each; an Old County Road resident donated $500; and the Old County Road campgrounds also pitched in with $500 Bell beamed at how quickly he raised those funds and how Allen just last week put the finishing touches on the building Storm leaves Westport with coastal flooding and impassable roadsThe Standard-TimesAs the SouthCoast braced itself for a strong wind and rain event Tuesday night into Wednesday the storm left the area with flooding and minimal power outages Bristol County remained under a flood watch until 1 p.m In Westport, coastal flooding once again made some roadways impassible, according to the the Westport Fire Department and the state boat ramp all dealt with coastal flooding East Beach Road was battered by surf during the overnight storm leaving it in pieces and closed to traffic Westport Town Administrator James Hartnett said the tide had begun receding and the Highway Department was still assessing the damage at East Beach The Freetown Police Department reported minor flooding on Ridge Hill Road between South Main Street and Alexandra Drive The Freetown Highway Department was notified and asked motorists to seek an alternate route Jim Cantore of the Weather Channel had one word to say about Westport BeachJim Cantore, the famed meteorologist, retweeted a post by the National Weather Service Boston/Norton. The tweet was a drone video of East Beach Road. Cantore simply wrote "Oooof." Strom watch: Power outages, flooding possible as strong storm sweeps through region starting tonight Roundhill Beach, Cove Walk and more closed do to storm damageOn Wednesday morning, Roundhill Beach in Dartmouth was closed until further notice due to storm damage. Dartmouth Parks and Recreation said it would post when the site is reopened Dartmouth Regional Park was closed Wednesday morning as crews worked to remove broken tree limbs along the roadway and was expected to reopen later in the day The City of New Bedford closed the Cove Walk and Fort Taber on Tuesday due to the impending weather forecast SeaStreak canceled all service between New Bedford and Martha’s Vineyard for Wednesday If you have any questions, Customer Service Representatives can be reached at 800-262-8743 or via email at contactnb@seastreak.com The National Weather Service is predicting a mixed bag of precipitation in the area early next week WESTPORT — The Westport River Watershed Alliance will be hosting its traditional River Day Festival in cooperation with the Westport Land Conservation Trust The festival is free and open to the public as well as over 30 local vendors and nonprofit exhibitors The Wampanoag Experience group will be well represented with a dedication at 1:30 p.m of the mishoon canoe recently completed at the Westport Town Farm Other Native American traditions will be exemplified with Native dance and drumming in the morning The River Center will be open to the public for viewing of the fish aquariums Food and beverages will be offered for sale Free parking will be available at the Westport High School and a free shuttle service provided by the Westport Senior Center will run to and from the Head every 10 minutes DARTMOUTH — Little Compton historical researcher Richard Gifford took an audience of local history buffs on an educational scenic tour of the homes and businesses owned by descendants of William White one of Westport’s most prominent early settlers 21 lecture presented by the Dartmouth Historical & Arts Society at the Russells Mills Schoolhouse Gifford used a color slide show to display the dozens of old houses and well-known business buildings owned by descendants of White in Westport Little Compton and Tiverton through the years including the handful of properties still owned by relations of the colonial land agent who came to this area around 1700 The lecturer said White and his wife Elizabeth Cadman “were the first occupants of the Handy House in Westport,” currently owned by the Westport Historical Society and operated as a living history museum to educate the public about the lives of the town’s early residents The house was a gift from White’s father-in-law in the days when Westport was still a part of Dartmouth who was born on the Mayflower when it was in Plymouth Harbor He was the first English child born in North America,” Gifford said His descendants would include a pair of early governors of the Massachusetts Bay colony and scores of other important personages who would play major roles in the development of this corner of the state William White came to Old Dartmouth from Scituate prior to 1700 to work as an agent for Thomas Coleman who also owned considerable land in the area so it was likely that White was representing Coleman’s son when he was supervising affairs in this town Early records indicate White was a blacksmith by profession His will made in Dartmouth in 1768 and executed in 1780 details the considerable size of the family and the extent of their relations with prominent early families Elizabeth Slocum (deceased) and Susannah White in addition to sons William and George White remained Westport residents while several others settled in Little Compton and also owned considerable acreage around the Head of Westport and land stretching as far west as present-day Sodom Road and Charlotte White Road on the east bank of the Westport River’s East Branch but much of the original Cadman’s 600-acre land holdings were inherited by George White Gifford’s slide show started with photos of the Cadman-White-Handy House “very unusual” among local homes because of its grand size after the completion of several additions through the years was occupied by the blacksmith and his large family who first built the middle portion of the two-story house Portions of the interior walls and ceilings have been left exposed to the eye of the visitor giving a great opportunity to show details of the original construction and later architectural improvements “It’s one of the few (area) houses where you can see the different stages of construction” of a home that was expanded considerably during its 300-plus-year lifetime The tour moved to another spot on Hix Bridge Road where Leonard Gifford and Ann White built a home on the site of the earlier Samuel Cornell homestead the great grandfather of the original William White built a house across the street in the mid-1800s lived in another nearby Hix Bridge Road house built circa 1760 on the site of another old Cornell homestead The pictorial display then shifted to Little Compton where White descendants married into the prominent Wilbur Still standing on the town common is the circa-1840 home of Abraham Wilbur noted for a rear portion being the home of the first Methodist church in town Other photographs showed the 19th-century homes of relation Isaac Bailey Richmond and Abraham Wilbur modified to an unusual Second Empire style around 1870 The Old County Road home “was built around a much earlier circa-1720 house” probably erected by Jeremiah Gifford proprietor of Shorrock’s Store at the Head Across the river at the Head stands the well-known Stone House on Drift Road built by Humphrey Howland around 1832 and designed in the Greek Temple style by noted architect Russell Warren the slide show included the John Gifford House and the home of William White grandson Holder White Jr. a Head of Westport carriage shop owner and coffin maker Holder’s descendants still own the property Also in the neighborhood is the Obed White House home to another grandson who operated an 1840s tea shop at the Head A lecture footnote mentioned celebrated mariner Captain Paul Cuffee who also lived and built ships on his farm off Drift Road the sister of noted black herbalist Charlotte White Both Charlotte and Jane were likely the daughters of a slave owned by William White’s son George Another footnote brought up the Westport Point merchant Isaac Cory Her stepson was the builder of the extant Paquachuck Inn on the waterfront Other familiar buildings in the visual tour included Gray’s Grist Mill the 1800s second incarnation of the 1712 mill built by Joshua Taber when that part of Adamsville was still part of Acoaxet (Westport) He also operated another Adamsville landmark Another stop was the home of Doctor George F.S a Westport native who became famous throughout New England for his alcohol-based patent medicine and purchased by the village doctor around 1850 Gifford continued his tour to the west and north visiting the historic Soule-Seabury House at Tiverton Four Corners built in the mid-1700s by Abner Soule and sold to Cornelius Seabury more than a century later Seabury was a successful merchant married to a White descendant the town’s first post office (1820) and a library over the years Another Tiverton house viewed belonged to Peregrine White named after his Mayflower-born grandfather A later photo showed his son Andrew Peregrine White’s popular general store at the Tiverton Four Corners The son also owned a nearby grist mill that stayed in operation until the mid-1900s The final stop on the tour was in North Dartmouth at the circa 1700 Cummings House on Old Westport Road The property was bought in the 1800s by Peleg White and is yet another example of the wide-ranging roots set down by the early ancestors of William White The far-reaching branches of the family of William White more than 300 years after the Scituate blacksmith journeyed to the southernmost end of the Massachusetts Bay Colony to start a new life The next time you're near the Head of Westport You just might catch a giant group of floating dogs you read that right- a giant group of floating dogs. These are not ordinary canines these "puppers" were trained to paddle board LLC out of Westport who decided to take her training to the next level by teaching dogs the obedience of paddle boarding Thanks to these massive 15 and 12-foot Isle inflatable paddle boards that are best for dogs Correia and her team can go out with multiple dogs per board the Paws on the Path crew was spotted by the Westport Historical Society paddling southbound down the Westport River with 22 dogs on board not just any dog can be a part of the floating party one of the requirements is the dogs have to be a part of the Paws on a Path hiking pack These hikes are important as they teach the dogs proper impulse controls This will help ensure that they're prepared to be on a mobile floating board comfortably and responsibly Correia always triple-checks to make sure each dog is tethered at all times to protect themselves as well as others on the river "We use treats and training so they get used to sitting and standing on the board," Correia explained they become models for the newer dogs." is how Correia and her team arrange the dogs in a specific order on the boards "We put the dogs on the paddleboards by personality and also who they like to play with or be around," Correia said "Some of the cuddle bugs are set closer to humans to feel more comfortable This is the very first year we went out with three paddle boards with the most dogs we've done at once- 22 dogs." Paws on the Path LLC opened in 2019 and has been building popularity over the last five years Correia grew up in Acushnet but recently moved to Westport where she decided to pull the trigger listen to her heart and open up the dog business "I’ve grown up around dogs my whole life," Correia said then became a dog hiker .After lots of research training seminars / courses  and continuously bettering myself in the field and five years later we now have 180 clients and have an amazing team with 3 trainers and 3 trained dog hikers ." Correia says paddle boarding with the dogs is something they want to do more often in the summertime, so stay tuned for updates on their Facebook Page coming soon Katelyn Correia of Westport is a licensed dog trainer that teaches dogs how to properly sit and stay on a paddle board.\nRead More Correia says paddle boarding with the dogs is something they want to do more often in the summertime, so stay tuned for updates on their Facebook Page coming soon Shelly Morris is no stranger when it comes to the town of Westport the Easton resident traveled to the SouthCoast region of southeastern Massachusetts to visit its beaches and family relatives Morris takes a prominent role in the 236-year-old town “I’ve known the community for the past 10 years,” Morris said It was comfortable to come down and get to know the people Morris was recently named the new Director of Athletics/Student Activities Coordinator for Westport Junior/Senior High School Pacheco’s teams won numerous league championships and was named Coach of the Year for three seasons over 11 years "I am honored and humbled to be named the new Director of Athletics/Student Activities Coordinator I would first like to thank Superintendent Thomas Aubin and the rest of the search committee for their time and efforts during this search process It was their thorough approach and the passion they displayed for this community that made it easy for me to accept this tremendous opportunity I have spent the better part of my life surrounded by sports My experience in athletics over the past few decades coupled with my educational background in Athletic Administration has provided me with the leadership and skillset needed to be successful in the position." “Through collaboration with my colleagues in the district and our coaching staff I am looking to build on the success our programs have had this past year,” Morris said “I believe we can broaden our marketing presence to celebrate our team’s and student-athlete’s successes on and off the field." More: Golf season is alive and well: See where your favorite local golf course listings are graduated from Northeastern University where she received her bachelor’s degree in Recreation and Sports Management Morris also obtained her master’s degree at the university in Sports Leadership has coached field hockey for over 20 years with stints at Division I and II schools — Ohio University the team won their first conference championship in 20 years and made the tournament for the first time in the program’s history She took Stonehill to several Final Four appearances and won the league and conference tournaments her team made it to the semifinal and finals for the conference tournament in the last couple of years Morris stepped down before the spring season to pursue her new career path “I wanted to get into athletic administration,” she said there was a co-op school at Brookline High School I was the assistant athletic director at that school I stayed on right through my co-op into post-graduation and worked for a little over a year as an assistant athletic director Being a smaller school and [myself] being a first-time athletic director at the high school level Morris interviewed for a handful of schools around the area and I saw the position pop up,” Morris said Morris said the community and school system did a great job of retaining many athletes this year She said the new fields are almost complete behind the new high school Morris also said there will be a middle school program for field hockey in the fall “I think our athletes are excited about competing at their school and being proud,” she said “We want to get our athletes excited about each other MIAA Playoffs: Westport boys basketball overcomes playoff challenge, advances to Sweet 16 Morris said she wants to use her philosophy as a coach and take that into her AD job “As a former athlete at the Division I level was all about my experience,” she said I still had a good experience in what I was doing I wanted my athletes to look back at their time and say I had such a great experience those four years and create those lasting memories “Obviously when you can generate that pride Some of our teams have had tremendous success over the past few years and we want to continue with that with those teams and with more.”   Morris said there will be a parent/student-athlete information night on Thursday at 5:30 p.m inside the school auditorium for anyone who hasn’t registered yet They can meet the coaches and answer any questions about the upcoming season and the athletic trainer will be there for questions Herald News and Taunton Daily Gazette sports editor Steven Sanchez can be reached at ssanchez@heraldnews.com WESTPORT — Nestled in the far corner of Southeastern Massachusetts sits the historic town of Westport It is also home to one of the top girls basketball programs in Division 5 this winter The Wildcats finished up the 2023-24 regular season on Thursday with a 19-1 mark after beating Fairhaven It is one of the top marks in school history before the postseason since former head coach Mike Ponte's team finished the 2017 season at 21-2 And the Wildcats were without former 1,000-point scorer and current Bridgewater State University student Leah Sylvain "It's a testament to the [girls]," said Westport head coach Jen Gargiulo who collected her 50th career coaching win "When you lose someone that had such an impact like Leah [Sylvain] did you never know what the next season is going to bring The group of girls that lead this team — the seniors we honored tonight — they're committed to making this a team." Megham Molloy and 1,000-point scorer Korynne Holden were honored prior to the Blue Devils game The senior trio said the key to the team's success this year are being cohesive together great chemistry and playing in rhythm as a team "I don't think nobody could have thought we'd win 19 games this season outside of this team looking in," Holden said it became evident to us that we were going to have a good season." "Losing Leah this season has been a huge factor," Perry said I think our record shows how much we've worked [hard] on our personal game "We started really strong this year," Molloy said "Since then we've improved to get better and better every single day The success of Westport girls basketball transcended way back to the early 1970s the Wildcats captured 16 conference championships including this season reached the south sectional semifinals twice and Elite 8 appearance They even captured a Division III Southeastern Massachusetts co championship in 1979-80 He said he hasn't has a chance to follow the Wildcats much after his team were moved to another division "I see that they seem like they have had a really nice season," he said Vote: 14 Girls Basketball players up for Herald News Player of the Week for Feb. 12-18 Milestone: Westport's Korynne Holden reaches the 1,000-point plateau against Avon Fairhaven head coach Erin Costa said one day she would like to emulate her team on defensive end like Gargiulo's squad you know you're going to get tenacious defense," Costa said "I want to have a defense that leads to offense I really respect Jen [Gargiulo] in what she is doing here Perry and Molloy said they have their eyes on the postseason "I defintely feel we're going to go further this year than last year," Holden said "We all have a lot of faith in each other." who has a winning percentage of .781 in three seasons "I could not ask for kids to believe in each other more I love what I do and I'm honored to do what I've always dreamt of doing which is being a mentor to the girls and a coach I'm lucky to be working in this community and have the support of the town." 11 rebounds and five assists for Westport in the win ..  Skylar Rezendes chipped in with 12 points Blue Devils' Ava Morrisson had a strong game with 10 points .. Freshman Mikayla Smith and sophomore Brenna Dugan each played well Westport, CT CT - Westport Country Playhouse announces 2019 Tony Award winner Celia Keenan-Bolger will head the cast of a Script in Hand playreading The drama about the challenges of maintaining one’s faith in a modern world is written by Kate Fodor and directed by Maria Dizzia. It was named one of the 10 Best Plays of 2007 by Entertainment Weekly and Time Out New York.  “When Celia Keenan-Bolger told me she wanted to take the Playhouse stage to act in ‘100 Saints You Should Know’ for a Script In Hand evening I jumped at the chance,” said Mark Shanahan Script in Hand series curator and incoming artistic director “Along with a stunning cast and the expert hand of the great Maria Dizzia as director Kate Fodor’s play will move our audience deeply common ground between two lost souls and those who surround them.” is a single mother with a rebellious teenage daughter While working as a cleaner in a church rectory she begins to rekindle her religious beliefs and searches for validation from the priest.  But the troubled priest suddenly leaves the church and returns home to his protective mother The five-member cast is headed by Celia Keenan-Bolger. She won the Tony Award for “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and was a three-time Tony Award nominee for “The Glass Menagerie,” “Peter and the Starcatcher,“ and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” Other cast members will be announced soon “"I’m thrilled to be bringing this play I love to the Playhouse I’ve appreciated Kate Fodor's work for so long as an audience member; I could not be more excited to dive into it as a director.”  Dizzia was last seen in the Broadway revival of “Macbeth” with Daniel Craig and starred in the national tour of Heidi Schreck's acclaimed play “What the Constitution Means to Me.” Other theater credits include “Belleville” (2013 Drama Desk nomination) “In the Next Room” (2010 Tony Award nomination) She made her directorial debut with the Amios Theater Company production of “The Loneliest Number” (2018 NY Innovative Theater nomination) and directed David Thigpen's “Hurricane Party” at Cherry Lane Theatre She can currently be seen in Paramount+’s series “School Spirits.” Upcoming: The independent film “We Strangers” and Disney+ series “Agatha: Coven of Chaos.” Playwright Kate Fodor’s plays have been produced by Playwrights Horizons Her play “Hannah and Martin” received the Kennedy Center’s Roger L “100 Saints You Should Know” received the National Theatre Conference’s Stavis Award Fodor is a resident playwright at New Dramatists and a fellow at The Playwrights Center Stage manager is Megan Smith who has stage managed many Westport Country Playhouse productions and Script in Hand and New Works playreadings since 2005 The play contains mature language and content For full details on the Script in Hand playreading of “100 Saints You Should know,” visit:https://www.westportplayhouse.org/show/script-in-hand-september/ The Script in Hand Playreading Series is supported by Joyce Herganhan and the White Barn Program of the Lucille Lortel Foundation Upcoming Script in Hand playreadings are scheduled on Mondays, November 13 and December 11, titles to be announced. They offer intimate storytelling as professional actors bring the words to life without sets or costumes.For a video on Script in Hand, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2eWDaF-JXA A complete schedule of Playhouse events is available at westportplayhouse.org. All play titles For Westport Country Playhouse information and tickets, visit westportplayhouse.org or call the box office at (203) 227-4177, toll-free at 1-888-927-7529. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), Instagram (wcplayhouse), and YouTube (WestportPlayhouse). Westport Country Playhouse is located at 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport.  HamletHub invites you to contribute stories, events, and more to keep your neighbors informed and connected. Don’t miss what’s happening in your community.Subscribe to receive a daily digest of the people, places and things that make our community great. Copyright ©2025 HamletHub™ WESTPORT — Some people think that the new parking regulation at Horseneck Point Landing is strictly for the birds — but not for local bird watchers Beach Committee members recently agreed that the Landing Commission should review the new parking policy that requires town beach decals to park at the Horseneck Point Landing Committee Chairman Sean Leach said that regional groups such as stargazers and bird watchers have not been able to access the state-owned Gooseberry Island The gates to the island are closed before sunrise and after sunset so the only parking is available at the landing which has room for around a dozen parking spots has been used traditionally by Gooseberry patrons The landing is a short walking distance from the scenic island State authorities close the gates at Gooseberry around 8 p.m Beach Committee members said recently that early morning fishing by out-of-staters is now not an option Leach said that a local bird watching group has traditionally accessed Gooseberry before 8 a.m Leach said he has fielded several complaints throughout the summer ‘’I am not a big fan of this to tell you the truth It has been used for public parking for years and years and years,” Leach said at a recent Beach Committee meeting Leach also said that across the street from the Horseneck Point parking lot is a lifesaving station which is in demand when there is an event at Gooseberry Leach said that the new parking regulation limits access to the station Landing Commissioner Sacha Sullivan said that the commission initiated the idea due to Covid-19 issues Sullivan said that the Head of Westport landing this spring was attracting crowds and not everyone was practicing social distancing or wearing masks Sullivan said the Landing Commission plans to review this new regulation in the fall When the commission pitched the idea in May to selectmen Some selectmen said that in the summer months it is difficult for town residents to park there and walk to Gooseberry or the scenic Horseneck Beach camping grounds the spots became occupied quickly on beach days said that the Horseneck Point Landing was the only place that provided free parking for access to a beachfront Michael Sullivan took part in an April discussion with the Landing Commission Michael Sullivan said he has also fielded complaints including from nearby Dartmouth residents who have parked there for years Michael Sullivan said that the commission agreed that landing parking for town residents would just be an experiment Michael Sullivan also questioned if there can legally be any restrictions on parking to these boat landings — especially for those who live in neighboring Dartmouth The parking frustration even led to a COVID-19 scare a few weeks ago for a town police officer A Northborough man claimed he did not see the parking signs told the officer he has always parked there *Editor's note: This story has been updated from its original version Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter Support our mission and join our community now you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism PARTIAL funding has been agreed for a programme of works on a car park in Westport where a hair salon had its glass front shattered by a concrete block Staff at LS Hair Westport on Upper Mill Street were left ‘traumatised’ after a car hit a concrete block which smashed into their salon adjoining Mill Street Car Park. Emergency services attended the scene and a large section of the car park was closed off said that the concrete lego block landed within ‘inches’ of a client during the incident Ms McNally said that she and her staff are ‘refusing’ to come back to work since the incident but six of them are at the window … there were eight people in the salon at the time if there was any other day there could have been 20 people in-house,” she said on Midwest Radio following the incident it took us five months of crying out to the council to get something in so finally they put in some concrete lego blocks which shouldn’t have taken five months to put in “I can’t believe we’ve fallen on deaf ears with the town council We’ve expressed that we don’t feel safe in the building there’s a hill leading down into the front of our salon Now they would lose ten car parking spaces there but the car park can continue to operate and generate €84,000 a year without that hill in use Local county councillor Peter Flynn said the staff had been left ‘traumatised’ by the incident “We were lucky in some ways that nobody was badly injured Thirteen people are out of jobs today because of the situation,” Cllr Flynn said on Midwest Radio The Fine Gael councillor demanded a programme of works that will address long-standing issues with the council-operated Mill Street and James Street Car parks Cllr Flynn said that local representatives would suspend all car parking charges in Westport unless this was agreed by Monday evening members of Westport Belmullet Municipal District agreed not to suspend car parking charges after funding was pledged for a programme of works at both car parks Head of Westport-Belmullet Municipal District said the council were ‘close to releasing a tender to carry out some work’ in the coming weeks on the James Street car park which is prone to flooding during wet weather He estimated that the works would be completed by Easter ‘depending on the availability of the contractors’ “The budget will then allow us to carry out some of the works on the Mill Street car park and we will progress that thereafter,” Mr Ó Mongáin told Monday’s meeting of Westport-Belmullet Municipal District Local representatives have lamented the state of the local authority car parks on several occasions Councillors were previously told that funding had been allocated for so-called ‘essential maintenance’ work on the Mill Street car park Cllr Flynn welcomed the latest commitment to a programme of works on the car parks which he described as being ‘third world’ compared to other car parks in Mayo Cllr Brendan Mulroy (Fianna Fáil) said a footpath needed to be put in place in Mill Street car park to improve safety for pedestrians " + $(".testo_articolo").html().replace(//g please subscribe and support local journalism Subscribing will allow you access to all of our premium content and archived articles To continue reading this article for FREE,please kindly register and/or log in Registration is absolutely 100% FREE and will help us personalise your experience on our sites You can also sign up to our carefully curated newsletter(s) to keep up to date with your latest local news Healy Park in Omagh is likely to be the venue for Mayo when they play Tyrone in the All-Ireland Championship Graduates of ATU and its legacy campuses can benefit from the Alumni Scholarship offering a 20% reduction on Masters course fees Minster Alan Dillon at the opening of the new offices The role offers an attractive package for the right candidate Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie genealogy expert and local historian Richard Gifford gave an illustrated talk on Westport’s “founding families” to a room full of history buffs at Westport Free Public Library recently offering a whirlwind tour of the legacies of the early Sissons a sprawling township stretching from Fairhaven to the Rhode Island line was kind of the ‘frontier’ in those days — a good place to escape the attention of the Puritan authorities,” Gifford said of the westernmost parts of the original Massachusetts Bay colony and the Wings were all Quakers from Sandwich who came here to escape prosecution” for their then-outlawed membership in the early Society of Friends was a member of the troublesome Anne Hutchinson faction expelled from Boston the Old Dartmouth villages refused to assess or collect the minister’s tax imposed by the Plymouth leaders “A lot of the immigrant ancestors” of those landscape-dominating families came from the densely populated Rhode Island town of Portsmouth mentioning early settlers including Richard Sisson and Hugh Mosher they spread into Little Compton and Tiverton rectangular lots that became family homesteads Then the immigrants moved on to Westport and Dartmouth where the 3,000-acre shares of the original purchase had been divided up into “all kinds of helter-skelter shapes Some shares might include up to 10 different pieces of land and each bundle of parcels was often subdivided again for resale The patchwork makes it hard to trace the land ownership records sometimes Joseph Tripp and his brother James settled on the southern end of Drift Road owning farms on either side of the cart path Five or six other brothers remained in Portsmouth or Little Compton to help spread the family name in those parts William Gifford settled his family onto a new homestead a place where no one checked on whether you attended church observances every Sunday The Kirbys and the Macombers were other early immigrants to Westport’s villages a War of 1812 veteran who fought for the British while living in Canada He had numerous wives at different times in his long life leaving a host of descendants to popularize the family name among the Mohawk tribe on the Canada-United States border The details of that Macomber's interesting life and times can be found in his printed biography Other interesting footnotes mentioned men such as Matthew Wing a resident of the Division Road neighborhood who once worked as a miller at Allen’s grist mill on Destruction Brook starting with Nathan Brownell at the Head of Westport and Thomas Church Brownell of Westport Harbor who became an Episcopal bishop and the founder of Trinity College one of the lecturer’s favorite of the old lineages a carriage maker who may have employed up to 100 locals in the mid 1880s and a possible candidate for the honor of making the first bicycle with rubber tires Such are the possible pathways that lead researchers and genealogists like Gifford to keep searching for the next interesting story about old Westport to share with local historians and their audiences Apr 3, 2025 | , | 0 You must be logged in to post a comment I agree with the Comment Policy All rights reserved.Reproduction of material from westportjournal.com without written permission is strictly prohibited All of the money donated here is added to Westport Journal’s editorial budget Please make your donation recurring if you can You and all of our readers will benefit from your generosity WESTPORT — A handful of town boat landings are closed but the Hix Bridge Road Landing and the Route 88 landing are open for boating and fishing activities This comes after some confusion over whether they were closed in the first place according to Selectmen Chairman Shana Shufelt Westport Director of Marine Services Chris Leonard confirmed that after consulting with state Rep and gathering input from other state sources town officials agreed that these two landing spots should be open Leonard indicated that the state has not ordered the closing of its state boat ramps so the town wanted to be consistent with the state Hix Bridge Landing is overseen by the Select Bboard Leonard said that parking at those sites is still prohibited unless people are using the ramp for boating “We are trying to discourage parking for unintended uses of the boat ramp,” said Leonard adding that the two state boat ramps are close enough to state and town beach areas Leonard noted that parking for fishing and boating activities is permitted but people should not be parking there and walking to area beaches Selectmen Chairman Shufelt ordered closures of the other boat landings and town beaches The order took effect after the state ordered the closure of state-owned beaches in town which include Horseneck Beach and Gooseberry Island cones were placed to block off access to the Route 88 state ramp “It’s unclear who put up cones to block parking at the state ramp but they have since been removed There was some confusion when the other landings were closed whether that one should be or not,” Shufelt said on Friday “That’s been cleared up for now but I will bring the matter up to the entire BOS in Monday’s meeting We’re all trying to do what we can but we did have some miscommunication on this one.” “Westport has a long-standing practice of following state actions at Horseneck during emergency events in order to to ensure the safety of our residents." Beach Committee member Sean Leach said most people appear to be understanding of these orders Most have realized the gravity of the situation Westport is an older town and I believe the chair made a tough decision,” Leach said the town health board issued an advisory that seasonal residents returning to town from some of the high COVI9-states to self-quarantine for a 14-day period there have been nine reported COVID-19 cases in town Westport River Watershed Alliance (WRWA) has chosen the winners for this year’s River Day poster contest Westport Elementary School students submitted designs — with the theme of river habitats — featuring the wildlife and scenic beauty of the Westport River and its watershed This year’s overall winner is third-grader Ella Turenne trees and sunshine was the judges’ hands-down favorite Her piece will be the artistic basis for the poster for the annual River Day event which will take place June 6 at the Head of Westport River Day will take place at the Town Landing at the historic Head of Westport at the intersection of Drift and Old County roads environmental exhibits and a tour of WRWA’s future headquarters Featured musicians include Rhode Island folk duo Atwater Donnelly the Westport High School band and the Spindle Rock River Rats Food and beverages will be available for purchase WRWA is holding a special membership drive Half-priced memberships will be offered on River Day This year marks the 30th anniversary of the organization’s first River Day the alliance purchased the old “Head Garage” site on the river and is finalizing plans for its renovation to become the new WRWA headquarters More information is available at westportwatershed.org or by calling Community Engagement Manager Steve Connors at (508) 636-3016 Executive Director of the Quick Center for the Performing Arts at Fairfield University will be the Y’s Men of Westport/Weston’s featured speaker at it’s February 11 2016 meeting at the Saugatuck Congregational Church Van Heerden will discuss his vision for future programs at the Quick Center Van Heerden had served as Executive Director of the Westport Arts Center before being named to head the Quick Center Prior to that he was Senior Faculty Member in Performance Studies for 15 years at City Varsity School of Media and Creative Arts in Cape Town In that position he founded and served as Artistic Director of ERF 81 Cultural Collective educators and others who created projects that present the culture and heritage of South Africa and holds a bachelor’s degree in drama and classical civilization from Rhodes University and a master’s degree in theater and performance The Y's Men of Westport/Weston is an organization of retired and semi-retired men with a continued interest in activity, fellowship, learning and community service. Those interested in attending Mr. Van Heerden’s presentation and learning more about the Y's Men should contact John Weiss at weissjf@aol.com. You can also access our website at http://www.ysmenwestportweston.org WESTPORT — The Zoning Board of Appeals last week gave the Rhode Island-based Cardi Corp permission to continue using its Westport Stone & Sand site after neighbors claimed that the corporation abandoned the property Wednesday’s controversial decision comes after the Rhode Island-based corporation began trucking materials off the Old County Road site in connection with the new Tiverton casino under construction Zoning Commissioner Ralph Souza issued a cease-and-desist order against operation owner Stephen Cardi after town authorities sought advice from legal counsel as to whether the site could be reused after being inactive for approximately five years Souza noted the office building and weight station are boarded up and there are areas of overgrowth Wednesday’s ZBA hearing overturned Souza’s order Town Counsel Jeffrey Blake noted the town does have an abandonment bylaw but not a disuse bylaw — the latter much easier to prove than the former Blake indicated that if a zoning board were to cite abandonment ZBA member Gerald Coutinho stressed the importance of the town avoiding court on issues as much as possible was still stockpiling materials on site before this year using the site to truck materials away Souza also confirmed that he found newer gravel on site and Cardi told the ZBA there is no longer a stone crushing plant as the site has abandoned the retail and stone crushing portion of the site has also been using portable stone crushers in lieu of permanent ones such as how the activity would affect the aquifer Drift Road resident Steve Fletcher said new generations and people have moved to that area of town The lieutenant governor visited the site this summer and awarded town officials with a grant for the rehabilitation of the nearby Head of Westport Landing “I don’t think this business belongs here and the vast majority of people don’t want you here,” he said to Cardi Old County Road resident Stephen Habib insisted the ZBA should have upheld the cease and desist because of evidence the intent was to abandon the property “I think that action can demonstrate intent,” Habib said One neighbor asked Cardi if he would be willing to meet with neighbors toward a peaceful co-existence between his corporation and the neighborhood “I honestly don’t know what we can meet about.” ZBA authorities on Wednesday mentioned that Cardi’s Corp still has to work out some issues with the Soil Conservation Board Neighbors have stressed that the work there does have an environmental impact that must be closely monitored WESTPORT — The Westport River Watershed Alliance (WRWA) and the Westport Highway Department recently worked together to improve the movement of rain water runoff from Old County Road into a constructed wetland located at the Head of Westport Modifications were done to the drainage system to further control stormwater runoff This wetland was created in 2006 to slow down and naturally filter polluted street runoff before it runs into the Westport River WRWA supported the project improvements done by the Westport Highway Department to reduce water pollution by providing funding for needed supplies and equipment Projects like this work to improve the water quality of the Westport River and preserve it for future generations and WRWA's mission is caring for and protecting Westport's natural resources new work will be done to fix stormwater runoff from the Westport Middle School Complex The town looked to the Buzzards Bay National Estuaries Program and the WRWA for assistance in competing for a section 319 grant to fund the original project and the new work The 319 grant program is administered through the Department of Environmental Protection This program provides communities with funds to design and build solutions to control polluted runoff from stormwater The new work will slow down stormwater from the roofs and parking lots of the Westport Middle School complex with infiltration basins and rain gardens Engineers estimate that the site currently contributes over 50% of the stormwater to the Old County Road drainage system that flows directly into the west side of the river at the Head formed in 1976 to protect the natural resources in the Westport River watershed The watershed encompasses parts of Fall River and Little Compton and Tiverton in Rhode Island and sustain the natural resources of the Westport River and its watershed." For more information on their efforts A who’s who of artists from the area’s coastal towns worked with a new “canvas” to help the Westport River Watershed Alliance Wooden lobster bouys painted and adorned to look like a designer shoe and many other scenes will be sold in a silent auction to benefit the conservation organization “Buoys at the Brewery,” will be held behind-the-scenes at Buzzard’s Bay Brewery among the brew tanks where the Funcheezial grilled cheese truck will be parked for the day selling quirky and traditional grilled cheese sandwiches to enjoy with Buzzard’s Bay brews “We try to do something fun in the winter that will bring everyone out,” said organizer Gay Gillespie the Westport River Watershed Alliance’s free winter fundraiser will feature bouys designed by about 50 area artists and designers including Don Cadoret jewelry designer Tiffany Peay (creator of the disco buoy) whose piece features an indigo blue octopus “Some of the them are just spectacular; Alica Crespo made one into a game,” said Gillespie of Crespo’s elaborately painted “Game Buoy.” Another usual one is tile artist Lauren Renee Quinn’s flashy “Loubouyton,” sporting the same red found on the soles of Louboutin designer footwear Gillespie said she contacted area artists she found through the open studio Art Drive and SouthCoast Artists and was overwhelmed by the response and support from the local arts community for both years raised $10,000 for the WRWA with ceramicist Trintje Jansen’s piece taking the top bid of $950 Jansen created another piece that incorporates ceramic figures into her buoy for this year “Maritime.” The minimum opening bid for each of the buoys is $100 are distributed to the artists to work their creative skills around Thanksgiving and every year Gillespie said she’s amazed at the final result “It’s really heartwarming to see how much work they put into them,” she added Gillespie was the director of the WRWA for 30 years before taking on the development role She said the WRWA’s successes since it started 38 years ago are numerous including having the town’s longest running bacterial monitoring program working with the town in creating a constructed wetland at the Head of Westport to filter stormwater and creating rain gardens to filter water at the town’s elementary and middle schools and educational organization is in the process of relocating to the historic Head Garage on Hix Bridge Road where they will have a science and educational center on the first floor “Buoys at the Brewery,” will be held at Buzzards Bay Brewing Inc., 98 Horseneck Road, Westport on March 7, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The buoys will be on display all day at the brewery with a reception from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Bidding begins at 11 a.m. and closes at 6:30. Buzzard’s Bay Brewery will be open for a cash bar. Buoys can be viewed at WRWA’s website www.westportwatershed.org should contact Gillespie at g.gillespie@wrwa.com or 508-636-3016 WESTPORT — When third-generation farmer Andrew Ferry’s grandfather built the family barn on Gifford Road in the 1940s another barn was built and opened during the same time period — becoming the iconic Main Road barn the Gifford Road barn was destroyed in a fire but Ferry takes solace in how he and his wife have purchased another barn and farm — a “piece of town and family history,” Ferry says “It is unbelievable to retain that barn and have it be ours now It's kind of like we captured the past in a way The farm in itself offers the acreage and type of resources that could kind of solidify my existence as a food provider for people,” Ferry said The site is something to behold and has often been featured in photographs capturing the town’s charm. It has a classic New England stone wall fence in front of a pasture where cows grazed for decades as well as an equally classic-looking gambrel barn.   More: Westport's Meatworks is booked up to 2022. Now lawmakers are pushing for more slaughterhouses. The Ferry purchase of the 80-acre farm marks a turnaround year for this farm family the Ferry farm business took a financial hit and then a second one at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic Andrew Ferry works with his parents at the Gifford Road farm but he also sells raw milk on Pine Hill Road the Ferrys next month will open a pasteurized and homogenized milk plant on Gifford Road where they will make signature drinkable yogurt and flavored milks The Main Road farm will provide grazing grounds for some of the Ferry livestock — marking a resurgence for this multi-generation farm family “It is a really big expansion and something we have been working toward and investing in for three years and it is at the point we are about ready to take off,” Ferry said.  He envisions the Gifford Road milk products being sold as close by as Lees Market the farm on Main Road will also be a place of residence for Andrew, Shauna and their baby daughter Andrew says the family has begun the field work on the property and doing other spring preparation work — such as taking care of hay fields and fencing.   “We will bring the cows there as soon as we can or as soon as it makes sense,” Ferry said The Ferry family agreement earlier this year to purchase the farm started with the Westport Land Conservation Trust a nonprofit organization that protects properties in town and belonging to members of the Santos family The “shy brothers” are Santos brothers who for decades were producing cheese and other products from the property The four brothers decided to sell it and listed it for sale in August 2019.  WLCT negotiated the purchase of the farm in January 2020 along with the protection of another 11-acre parcel (on Adamsville Road) according to a written release from the WLCT Early on in the project WLCT received a donation of $2.5 million from an anonymous donor. The community stepped up to the challenge of this project in a major way with over 160 families contributing over $1 million to save this farm “WLCT embarked on this project at the beginning of the global pandemic a most uncertain time to start a large project,” stated WLCT board president Trip Millikin the community has come together and rallied around the protection of this iconic farm We are so very thankful to everyone who has supported this project through their donations Town Meeting votes and words of support.” The Westport Board of Selectmen approved a $500,000 grant from the Westport Agricultural/Open Space Bond in January of 2020 and Westport Town Meeting approved a $500,000 grant from the Community Preservation Act Fund at its Town Meeting last July WLCT also received a Conservation Partnership Grant from the Massachusetts Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs as well as a Massachusetts Waterfowler’s Association grant to support the acquisition noted that there was a process involved before the WLCT selected the Ferry family as a business partner in the acquisition “We received six qualified applications from local farm families and enlisted the help of local community members The Santos family created a legacy on this working farm and made it a valuable part of our community We are confident that the Ferry family will continue that legacy well into the future.” It appears Ferry takes that legacy seriously He says farming reminds him of the recycling symbol with the arrows making a triangle shape and pointing to each other Ferry says the farmers take care of the cows They all point to each other and work toward a goal — “food for people.” WESTPORT — A boat landing adjacent to Gooseberry Island last summer was stripped of its status as the only free Selectmen are now mulling over whether it should remain that way.  Selectmen at last week’s meeting were joined by Beach Committee members and Landing Commissioners to review whether the landing should be available only as parking for townspeople with parking passes The landing is located on East Beach Road.  selectmen are mulling over whether paid parking there should be seasonal or year-round The issue might be voted on at the Jan 19 meeting after selectmen and other authorities conduct more research on the matter.   Landing Commissions recommended to the selectmen that parking be only available to town residents with a paid decal town-owned scenic parking spots “punishes poor people” from frequenting the waterfront “I see nothing other than elitism and the fact we want to keep poor people out of our beaches,” Valcourt said Commissioners last summer said that the area had become a hangout for young people and became a gathering spot during the height of the pandemic last year Landing Commissioners last spring and summer expressed concern with people gathering at both Horseneck and the Head of Westport Landings with people not always wearing masks or social distancing.  Commissioners and other town authorities argued that because the area is within a short walking distance from Horseneck Beach and Gooseberry town residents often have had trouble getting parking spots there during the summer months Commissioners have said that the presence of Rhode Island plates help prove that point Landing Commissioner Jefferson Bull said last week that the parking spaces are also a victim of storm damage He said its popularity also leads to more deterioration of the area and more expenses and maintenance for the town.   “One of the issues is degradation of the parking lot.  … Unfortunately young people like to impress each other by throwing rocks at the cliffs,” Bull said.  “It seems to make sense to make that permit parking.” Other authorities last week said that some out-of-towners are early morning bird watchers or evening star gazers who simply want to park there and walk over to Gooseberry Island which is gated off and not accessible during night hours.  Selectmen last week mentioned a growing Facebook presence of out-of-town residents upset with Horseneck Point available only to town residents.  Selectmen Vice Chairwoman Shana Shufelt said that neighbors in that area last summer reported that there were fewer litter noise and loitering issues with paid parking at Horseneck Point Landing.  WESTPORT — Westport Historical Society President Tony Connors finally got to deliver his twice-delayed talk about Westport whaling master Edward Davoll on March 3 as part of the society’s continuing winter lecture series “A Westport Whaleman Goes Slaving” was the topic a simplified but misleading description of the 1860s affairs that led Davoll to be indicted for aiding ship owners known to be involved in the illegal slave trade The Westport captain was living in New Bedford when he was arrested and released on bail for those charges He died of typhoid fever in that city before the case came to trial so he was never convicted of breaking the federal anti-slavery laws How did a promising young captain of successful whaleships end up ferrying and outfitting illegal slave ships The slave traders went looking for men like him” who knew the Atlantic Ocean and needed work His lecture explained much about the life and times of Davoll his personal story and the circumstances that led to his “alleged” but certain involvement in the lucrative business of buying and selling men an illegal practice in the United States at the time It was a highly condensed version of the biography of Davoll that Connors will publish through the UMass Amherst university press next spring The book is the end product of six or seven years of research into Davoll including the collection of 30 or more of his letters and court records related to the federal human-trafficking charges that he faced at the end of his life Perhaps the letters provide the best clues to Davoll’s background and reasonably good spelling,” Connors reported about the young man who grew up near the Head of Westport One of the letters hints at the pervasive racism of the times with Davoll describing the aborigines encountered on an 1858 cruise off Australia as “horrid dirty objects” shortly before the ship went aground on that country’s coastline That hint of a racist attitude may have helped justify his later involvement with slave traders the story plays out at the end of the whaling era when many local captains and seamen were looking for work to replace the dwindling number of whaling voyages the despicable business of slave trading was better than starvation and certainly more profitable than whaling or trading Many former whalers would join the profitable business Davoll’s career at sea is typical of many others in these parts He made his first trip on a whaler out of Westport Point at age 17 on a short voyage around the Atlantic under Captain Pardon Cook and so were some of the crew,” Connors noted Davoll’s second sailing in the early 1840s was on a year-long whaling trip followed by a two-year trip on a ship sent to the Indian Ocean and South Pacific he had enough experience to be a boat-steerer helming the little whaleboats sent out to harpoon the leviathans the whalers chased Davoll was made captain of the whaleship Cornelia “It was pretty unusual to make captain by the age of 25,” so he must have been an excellent sailor He served as master of that vessel for three reasonably successful voyages finding time while on land to court and marry Lizzie Brownell of Westport an old 310-ton whaler built at the Head of Westport Perhaps 100 barrels of whale oil could have been salvaged he returned to Westport with a reputation as an “unlucky captain” whose skills might be suspect Davoll finally got a job from a Mattapoisett whaleship owner to captain a two-year cruise Connors said he “he sort of disappears for a year” from the whaling business Some research showed he was working as the captain of a different vessel a 400-ton whaleship bought by a New York slave trader sent to New Bedford for refitting in preparation of a long voyage Local and federal officials suspected the ship was being converted into a slave-trading vessel With a huge hold and a large cargo capacity plus facilities for storing and cooking food “a whaler was nearly a perfect disguise for a slaver,” Connors said The ship continued on to the coast of Africa under a temporary Spanish captain women and children were purchased as slaves where they were sold to labor on the island’s sugar cane plantations the illegal trip would have been hugely profitable Common seamen on slavers may have made $500 for a round trip — up to 10 times a year’s usual wages — and captains would be paid “thousands of dollars” for their efforts tricked into signing on for a whaling trip and disgusted with the work reported the successful and illegal voyage to authorities when the ship returned to New Bedford The slave trader’s front man in the city was indicted for slave trading before being arrested in 1862 as an accessory to the plot He was out on bail when he caught typhoid fever in the city The newspapers covering the trial had ruined his reputation even though he did not live long enough to be tried and convicted Davoll’s wife died shortly after her husband ending that branch of the family line in these parts forever WESTPORT — Longtime summer visitor David Jones took local history buffs on a photographic walk down Memory Lane at a standing-room-only illustrated lecture on “East Beach before the Hurricanes” recently at the historic Paquachuck Inn sponsored by the Westport Historical Society skating rink and a Catholic Church” is how the society’s press release aptly described the bustling summer colony on Westport’s southernmost shoreline All were swept off the barrier beach in the Hurricane of 1938 and those who rebuilt after that devastating storm were washed away again in the equally destructive Hurricane of 1954 Jones used old insurance maps from the 1930s and 1940s overlaid on modern Google photos to recreate the plot lines of the shoreline’s development since the late 1800s and sprinkled his chronology of steady growth with some of the earliest photographs of the area available in local collections Especially expressive were a series of 1900s postcards backed with photographs of the vibrant East Beach summer colony The tourist chatter written on the cards gives a good indication of the period activities of summer visitors through the years: swimming going to the dance hall or the bowling alley for an evening’s fun Most of the houses and businesses built on the ocean side of East Beach Road Some of the old buildings were built just above the old high water mark Jones traced the colony’s growth from Joseph Heywood’s “first” house on the beachfront and the first of the ornate cottages built by the wealthy Trafford family on land to the south of that early home An 1886 photo from New Bedford Historical Society’s collection showed “the grandest house on East Beach.” owned by W.C The row of cottages kept expanding with additions of gables stables and other outbuildings across the road from the beach The marshy wetlands of the Let became the resting place of many of the swept-away cottages during the 1938 hurricane which left the beach “wiped clean of houses,” Jones said and stables were all gone when the storm was over Those and other old photos perfectly illustrated the history talk Audience members saw cottages grow while lots grew smaller; more commercial enterprises such as Burden Head’s Boarding House for Duck Hunters seen in a 1907 photo taken near the John Reed Road intersection at the southern end of the road; the Rose of Lima Chapel whose old bell now sits outside the present-day Catholic Church on Main Road A 1922 photograph showed the popular Breakers Dance Hall located near the Gooseberry Island causeway It sat across the road from the old lifesaving station Other photos showed the causeway area when it was just a sandbar allowing access only at low tide; then the first rows of stones laid down by the town in the early 1920s which became the concrete-topped roadway we now know thanks to the military’s use of the island for observation towers in the 1940s Jones capped off his talk with an appeal for help identifying certain “mystery photos” in his collection that have eluded his research efforts so far “Where was the Tripp & Lawrence Store?” he asked the assembled history buffs and lifetime residents “It was probably near Farley Lane,” he said Probably near where the Breakers (Hotel) was?” Jones also wanted to know also lacks a confirmed location on his beach maps or contribute information on the mystery pictures in the album were invited to visit www.PBase.com/clamflats to contact Jones Just Google “clamflats Westport” and your search engine will bring you there Some interesting information is likely to come in the mail for the researcher judging from the first-hand accounts of the storms shared with Jones by audience members after the talk One older person shared childhood memories of the first time finding her rubber doll in the upper branches of a tree after the storm surge carried off their summer cottage Another told of cottages floating in the Let perhaps a dozen or more settled into two neat rows going toward Westport Point after the other hurricane passed East Beach Road may be a shadow of its glorious past these days but the memories of the narrow packed dirt lane that once carried thousands of visitors to its sunny shorelines every summer remains in the photos Jones has collected to share with other history lovers The monthly Westport Historical Society winter lecture series continues on the first Thursday of the month through April executive director of the Little Compton Historical Society will talk about the region’s role in the slave trade during colonial times More information on the lecture series and the upcoming Westport 101 history course is available at wpthistory.org My roots will forever keep me a Westporter and that's something I'll never take for granted Growing up in the 02790 was simple and nostalgic Just catching a whiff of manure when the car windows are down is welcoming Towns here on the SouthCoast such as Dartmouth have some of the best scenic roads in the area but nothing can compare to the backroads of Westport Driving around on a warm sunny Sunday in the summertime can feel like a slice of heaven in the right light Have you ever caught the sunset at the top of "Potato Hill" on Hixbridge Road before it dips down below the trees How about the miles of fall foliage as you're heading south on Route 88 heading towards the ocean You might as well consider yourself somewhere in New Hampshire (minus the altitude difference and the flatlands) Stress consumes us all on the daily and there are days when you just need to get out for a bit to clear your head What better solution than with a drive through the gorgeous and winding countryside of Westport If roaming cows in pastures and oceanview roadways are more your style I have compiled some of the best scenic drives and roadways Westport has to offer You won't be disappointed driving down these backwoods country roads in Westport.\nRead More Nov 20, 2023 | | 1 Is this a position that would qualify as necessary How long has this type position been in place and how much is the salary Do we have a civilian review board to look into these questions You must be logged in to post a comment WESTPORT (WBSM) — State Representative Paul A Schmid III has announced he will not be seeking re-election in the 8th Bristol District “It has been an incredible honor to represent the 8th Bristol District for more than 13 years I want to thank everyone who has had confidence in me,” he said in a February 13 social media post announcing he would not seek re-election a cattle farmer by trade who runs River Rock Farm in Westport is also the chair of the Joint Committee on Agriculture “I have worked to serve our farmers and bring local healthy food into our schools and urban areas,” Schmid wrote winning the state rep seat just a year after he was first elected to the Westport Board of Selectmen He also served on numerous committees in his hometown prior to that He also earned the rank of sergeant in the U.S and pointed out that “many say the SouthCoast delegation is the best and I have been honored to work with each member.” and their families for their support since day one,” he wrote “They were always my secret sauce.” “I will cherish the knowledge that I was part of the longest-serving democratic body in the world,” Schmid concluded Later that same day, longtime Massachusetts State Senator Marc Pacheco announced he would not be seeking re-election to the Third Bristol and Plymouth District Listen to WBSM's Chris McCarthy discuss both Schmid and Pacheco on SouthCoast Now: State Representative Paul A. Schmid III of Westport has announced he will not be seeking re-election in the 8th Bristol District.\nRead More WESTPORT (WBSM) — State Representative Paul A Later that same day, longtime Massachusetts State Senator Marc Pacheco announced he would not be seeking re-election to the Third Bristol and Plymouth District