Westport
in Brief!
EverythingWestport.com
Sunday,
August 18, 2013
photos/EverythingWestport.com except as noted
Quick
Article Index . . .
Upcoming toll spawns protest? RITBA
calls the fire “the sabotage of equipment.”
Out-of-staters dominate 2nd annual running of Ducky Dash 5k.
Agenda
for Board of Selectmen Regular Meeting - Monday August 19, 2013.
10th annual Allens Pond Duck Derby smashes record at 5866 rubber duckies at the gate.
Largest turnout on record at Sunset Music Series in Westport.
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RITBA calls fire “the sabotage of
equipment” on the Sakonnet River Bridge in the
early morning hours of Saturday, August 17th. EverythingWestport.com Saturday,
August 17, 2013 Photos/EverythingWestport.com except as noted Upcoming toll
spawns protest? Apparently
someone is unhappy with a 10 cent toll on the Sakonnet
River bridge as an act of arson brought out Portsmouth and Tiverton
firefighters early Saturday morning to the Portsmouth side of the bridge. A suspicious
electrical fire, extinguished by the first responders, is being investigated
by RI fire officials. The fire has been
ruled as arson, according to state officials. Both the State Fire Marshal's
Office and State Police are investigating.
David Darlington,
Chairman of the R.I. Turnpike and Bridge Authority (RITBA) released a
statement Saturday afternoon on the sabotage of equipment on the Sakonnet River Bridge in the early morning hours of
Saturday, August 17th. “Today, at
approximately 1 a.m. equipment on the Sakonnet
River Bridge was intentionally damaged by fire. Police and fire responded to
the scene, and the fire was quickly extinguished,” Mr. Darlington said in the
press release. “A backup system
is in place and therefore there will be minimal interruption of the normal
operations,” he continued. “Thanks to diligent work by repair crews, the main
systems have either been restored or will be within the next several hours.
We expect tolling on the bridge will continue as planned on Monday.” Traffic on the
bridge was uninterrupted. The fire affected only nearby equipment, not the
bridge structure. “The destruction
of state property is a crime we take very seriously; the matter has been
turned over to the Rhode Island State Police and will be investigated and
prosecuted. We support the right of civil protest,” Mr. Darlington concluded.
“We have no tolerance for vandalism and arson, which puts lives in peril.
This act of attempted sabotage is not a victimless form of protest. It poses
a potential danger to motorists and first responders, and the financial costs
of the crime are borne by toll payers.” According to a
RITBA worker, the brick building that contains the tolling mechanism on the
Portsmouth side of the bridge was not damaged. What was vandalized, he said,
seems to have been the conduits containing electrical wires. Out-of-staters
dominate 2nd annual running of Ducky Dash 5k. Swansea’s
Mohammed Duad sets new record. EverythingWestport.com Sunday, August
18, 2013 photos/EverythingWestport.com
Above: runners check
their watches and leap off the starting line in the 2nd annual running of the
Allens Pond Sanctuary’s Ducky Dash 5k.The
Sanctuary’s field station is in the background. Swansea’s
Mohammed Duad wins the second running of Allens Ponds Sanctuary’s Ducky Dash 5k in a time of
18:36, beating out Brooklyn’s Laurens Goff by 14 seconds. Duad set a new record for the event,
besting last years’ time of 18:54 set by this year’s second place finisher,
41-year-old Laurens Goff. Taylor Frechette of Madison, WI rounded out the top three at
20:19. Out-of-staters
dominated the top five slots as the interstate appeal of the Sanctuary’s
Ducky Dash 5k continues to grow throughout the region. “I felt pressured
halfway through the race,” Daud said. “I faded a bit at
the end and Daud pulled away,” Goff said. “It’s the
most scenic 5k around,” he added. That it is, Laurens, that it is. A cool, windless
morning run down East Beach Road to Gooseberry Island with Cuttyhunk and Martha’s Vineyard as a backdrop to the
beautiful waters of Buzzard’s Bay just doesn’t get any better. “It was a
comfortable race,” Daud said. The 18-year-old
native North African runner was never challenged for the lead.
Left: 1st place male, Mohammed Duad. Center: 2nd place male, Laurens Goff. Right:
3rd place male, Taylor Frenchette. First female
finisher and fourth overall was Stacie Jaeger of Saratoga Springs. 58 runners registered
and 49 showed up for race day. All winners won a
“flock of ducks” (5) for next year’s Duck Derby, along with other prizes.
Left: first place female and
fourth overall, Stacie Jaeger. Center:
2nd place female, Dana Lee. Right:
3rd place female, Amanda Silveira.
Above: Runners head to
the finish line on Horseneck Road, completing a
cool, windless morning race under overcast skies. The 5k route was down Horseneck Road, along East Beach Road to Gooseberry
Island where runners circled the parking lot and headed back along the same
route the Allens Pond Sanctuary field station. With
Cuttyhunk and Martha’s Vineyard as a backdrop to
the beautiful waters of Buzzard’s Bay, a 5k race just doesn’t get any better.
Left: 13-year-old Benjamin Collins
ran a great race at 25:13 and 14th overall.
Right: Jen Costa, race and event coordinator,
encourages daughter Julia, 8 years old, in the last few steps of the Ducky
Dash 5k. Julia finished 40th overall at 34:55. Agenda for Board of Selectmen Regular Meeting - Monday August 19,
2013. EverythingWestport.com Monday, August 19, 2013 6:05 PM Public Hearing –
RE: A petition from Verizon New England, Inc and NStar Electric Company proposing to locate one (1) New
Stub Pole (to
place new Pole 123/9S) on Old Pine Hill Road.
Proposed pole is required so that a pole to tree guy can be removed. 6:30 PM Highway Department –
RE: Appointment of Skilled
Laborer/Truck Driver and Mechanic. 6:45 PM Energy Committee – Tony Connors –
RE: Approval of an outside consultant for power purchase proposals. 7:30 PM Discussion – RE: Town Counsel’s
October, 2012 letter addressing tax loss by the Town entering into
Conservation Restrictions and a suggestion
for language insertion of a donation to offset tax loss. Action Items 1.
Vote to accept donation of four dock floats
to the Town. 2.
Approval of One Day Liquor Licenses for
Westport Rivers, Inc., Holy Ghost Club and Wish Come True. 3.
Approval of Town Farm-North Apartment Lease. 4.
Approval to place Cable Access Surplus
Equipment on Municibid Government Auction site. 5.
Update on Bower Avenue. Minutes 1.
Approval of Regular Meeting Minutes of 2.
Reconsider approval of Regular Meeting
Minutes of Question and
Answer Period Town
Administrator and/or Business Manager Reports Correspondence –
Action Required Board Members
suggestion of items for future agenda discussion/action Other Business Executive
Session pursuant
to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 30A, Section 21, to consider approval
of Executive Session Minute of June 17, 2013, July 22, 2013 and August 5,
2013 and to consider the purchase, exchange, lease or value of real estate,
if the Chair declares that an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on
the negotiating position of the public body. Adjournment Correspondence – Action Required BOS
Meeting of August 19, 2013 1.
A request was received from Jessica Haselton,
Excel Recycling regarding information for adopting the median at the
intersection of 2.
A request was received from the Lydia Cobb-Quequechan
Chapter of MA Daughters of the American Revolution for a Proclamation for
Constitution Week, 10th
annual Allens Pond Duck Derby smashes record at
5866 rubber duckies at the gate. Winner
out fishing and didn’t know he won. EverythingWestport.com Sunday, August
18, 2013
Left: Winning duck number 5763 was later identified as belonging to Jim Krynicki, the 2013 winner of a dinner for two anywhere in
the world. But only one can
win its handler a dinner for two anywhere in the world. Jim Krynicki had no idea that his employer, Neal Van Sloun of Sylvan Nursery, was leaving him a message Sunday
afternoon. Krynicki was out fishing. The call was not
to tell him he was late for work, but that he had just been announced as the
grand prize winner of the 10th running of the ducks at Allens
Pond Sanctuary. The South Darrtmouth resident won dinner for 2 with round-trip
airfare and 2 nights lodging anywhere in the world. To sweeten the
prize, Jim’s duck entry was a gift certificate that Mr. Van Sloun had purchased for him – talk about a reason why you
should answer a call from the boss on a Sunday. Krynicki’s duck, “Sunny,” was the first
to cross the finish line during the 10th annual Duck Derby race on Saturday
and as she was plucked from the water, Jim may have been reeling in a
spectacular catch and had no clue that he would later check a voice mail from
the boss, only to be faced with fantastic news and the decision of a
lifetime. Sunny took the
lead at the first turn and never looked back. “Chief Ducky” and
“Den Mother” were close on her heels but couldn’t overtake the leader.
Mary Sedney of Westport won the special “stealth duck
prize” with her race entry, ”Speed
Demon” - lunch for 2 and free coffee
for one month at F.A. Simmons Store. A decade of ducks
has challenged the fiddly wind and treacherous channel current of Barneys
Joy, and numerous quackers have failed to make the
final turn. That was the case
Saturday as a southwest wind carried hundreds of struggling yellow-backed
competitors to the south of the finishing booms and drove them into the
eastern marsh. “Our Sunday
afternoon Festival was phenomenal, with loads of activities and educational
exhibits from Allens Pond and partner
organizations, a delicious $5 BBQ with amazing homemade desserts, and blues
from Neal McCarthy & Friends,” said event organizer Jen Costa. “A successful
silent auction and live plant auction, with plants generously donated and
auctioned off by Fred Dabney of Quansett
Nursery topped it all off and blew away past Derby fundraising numbers.
All in all, the weekend was a major success and showed great support for the
Sanctuary and its conservation efforts, educational programming and
environmental advocacy,” Costa said.
“Endless thanks
go out to all of the volunteers who supported the event. Their hard
work and dedication made the entire weekend an amazing event,” Purtell said. Costa thanked all
of the prize donors - 55 in all; with special thanks to the grand prize
sponsors - Sylvan Nursery, The Bayside Restaurant, Nye Synthetic
Lubricants, Cape Yachts, Milbury & Company and
Oppenheimer, as well as Buckley and Moniz, Village Travel and Austin
Limousine Service. The Ducky Dash 5k was made possible by the generous
support of The Ladera Foundation, New York Bagel
and Coastal Roasters. Festival sponsors were Sperry Tents, Coastal
Roasters, The Westporter, Eva’s Garden, the Bayside
Restaurant, Cape Cod Potato Chips and Fiber Optic Center. “It is with this
combined support that makes it possible for all duck adoption funds to go
directly to Allens Pond Sanctuary,” Costa said. All winners will
be notified by phone and/or email. Prizes can be picked up at the Allens Pond field station, located at 1280 Horseneck Road, Westport, or mailed to the winners.
Please call the field station at 508.636.2437
if you have won.
Above: 5866 competitors
are released for their run up the channel at Barneys Joy. Below is the
official list of winners for the 2013 Allens Pond
Duck Derby:
Left: rounding up the recalcitrant
quackers. Right:
volunteers organizing and tabulating the winners. Largest
turnout on record at Sunset Music Series in Westport. EverythingWestport.com August 16, 2013 Last week Westport
Rivers Vineyard and Winery hosted Toph and Tom to
the largest audience on record – “the biggest turnout so far,” crowed
vineyard manager Rob Russell. Toph and Tom played to the
largest crowd yet at the Vineyards Sunset Music Series. Hundreds jammed the
expansive lawns of the popular Westport Vineyard and Winery. Estimates are as
high as 1100 in attendance. And the sunsets at the vineyard are awesome!
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