Westport
in Brief!
EverythingWestport.com
Sunday,
August 25, 2013
photos/EverythingWestport.com except as noted
Quick
Article Index . . .
Charter to
provide Westport with 151 HD channels starting September 17th.
Westport
non-profits recipients of Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) grants.
Life-saving pet oxygen masks
were donated to Westport Fire Department in August.
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Charter to provide Westport
with 151 HD channels starting September 17th. Improved service requires no-cost upgrade
to new Charter-provided set-top HD boxes as part of an all-digital upgrade. EverythingWestport.com Wednesday,
August 21, 2013 Take heart
Westport. Better later than never, cable television customers in Westport
will soon enjoy access to more high-definition channels as part of an
all-digital upgrade to Charter's Westport network. The single-source
cable provider residents love to hate will provide the upgrade to high
definition digital set-top receivers at no cost. On September 17,
Charter will begin clearing all analog signals from its local network, making
way to add 119 new HD channels. Customers will have access to a total of 151 HD
channels once Charter completes its move to an all-digital network. "By removing
outdated analog signals, we gain back a tremendous amount of bandwidth in our
network," said Gregory A. Garabedian,
Charter's vice president and general manager for New England. "In the
space we previously needed for a single analog channel, we can now provide
multiple standard definition digital channels or HD channels." “By removing
outdated analog signals, we gain back a tremendous amount of bandwidth in our
network,” said Gregory A. Garabedian, Charter’s
vice president and general manager for New England. “In the space we
previously needed for a single analog channel, we can now provide multiple
standard definition digital channels or HD channels. It’s a great opportunity
for us to maximize value for our customers.” In addition,
Charter customers with digital set-top boxes will gain Video On Demand access
for every television in their home. Disney Junior,
Hallmark Movie Channel, DIY Network, FX Movie Channel, CBS Sports Network are
among the HD channels that will be available. A Charter spokeswoman said that
present digital customers will not have to pay extra to receive the new HD
offerings. With digital
set-top boxes, Charter customers will gain Video On Demand (VOD) access for
every television in their homes. Customers must
take action to continue receiving Charter programming on all of their
televisions. Those not now equipped with Charter-issued digital set-top boxes
or CableCARDs must acquire them for each of their
television sets. For a limited time, Charter will offer the boxes at no
charge. Customers will install their own boxes; those unable to do so can get
a service call for a fee. The boxes will be
available during extended hours at the Charter Store located at 548 Gifford
Road in Westport. From August 26 through September 9, the store will be open
Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2
p.m. Charter has also
set up a temporary mobile site, offering digital set-top boxes at the Charter
trailer located at the Hampton Inn, 53 Old Bedford Road, Westport. Charter
representatives will be on hand. Customers are asked to bring a photo ID; only
the account holder or an authorized user listed on the account is eligible to
pick up equipment. The trailer will
be open Tuesday, September 9 through Wednesday, September 25 (closed Sundays)
from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. “More than 85
percent of Charter customers in Westport have adopted digital devices for at
least one television in their home,” Mr. Garabedian
said. “Now we can give customers in Westport even more of what they want – a
superior digital image, better audio and a diverse selection of HD
programming.” Charter says that
Charter internet customers will also see speed improvements. Charter now has
download speeds up to 30 Mbps in Westport. With the all-digital upgrade,
customers here will get download speeds of up to 100 Mbps. To assure they
continue receiving Charter programming on all of their televisions, customers
not currently equipped with Charter-issued digital set-top boxes or CableCARDs must acquire them for each of their TVs.
Customers may visit www.charter.com/digitalnow or call 1-888-GET CHARTER (1-888-438-2427)
for more information. Westport
non-profits recipients of Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) grants. EverythingWestport.com Sunday, August
25, 2013 Westport
non-profits profit from MCC grants. Westport’s state
senator Michael Rodrigues announced recently that his district has been
awarded grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC). "I’m very
happy to announce that the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) has awarded
grants totaling $94,830 to cultural organizations, schools, and The majority of
this money will be distributed to the local cultural councils, and the
remainder will go to Concerts at the Point, Narrows Center for the
Arts, and the Westport River Watershed Alliance. These grants help
to support cultural activities and projects that benefit the South Coast's
residents, while supporting jobs in the nonprofit cultural sector. Be sure to
check out the rich arts and culture scene that the South Coast has to offer,
Senator Rodrigues said. Life-saving
pet oxygen masks were donated to Westport Fire Department in August. EverythingWestport.com Sunday, August
25, 2013
The Marlborough,
MA-based company launched the pet Oxygen mask program in 2008. The 2013 Campaign
is underway to “finish the job,” said MVMA Charities, Inc. President Dr.
Suzanne Starr. The set of three
masks is designed to fit dogs and cats that might be victims of smoke
inhalation, excess water inhalation, or other respiratory emergencies. MVMA Charities, Inc. launches 2013 Pet
Oxygen Mask Campaign, benefitting over 100 Massachusetts municipalities. In 2008, the MVMA
Charities, Inc. launched the MVMACI Pet Oxygen Mask Program to outfit every
municipality in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with a pet oxygen mask
kit. Over half of the state’s
communities now have these kits. The
2013 Campaign is underway to “finish the job,” says MVMA Charities, Inc.
president, Dr. Suzanne Starr. We are
excited to complete phase one of this program and make sure that all first
responder vehicles are equipped with the emergency equipment needed to save
the lives of our pets. This set of three
masks is designed to fit dogs and cats that might be victims of smoke
inhalation, excess water inhalation, or other respiratory emergencies. In one year alone, nearly 30,000 fire
incidents were reported in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, with almost
half happening in residential homes. In order to ensure the proper care and
safety of pets during these unfortunate occurrences, the Pet Oxygen Mask
Program has been established by the MVMACI, and we have adopted a two-tiered
mission to distribute rescue masks. Initially, our goal is to place one mask
kit in each town and city across the state. Phase two of the program is to
place one mask kit in all of the 452 fire stations in the state. Currently,
approximately half of the cities and towns in Massachusetts are equipped with
pet oxygen mask kits.
The most enticing
and special aspect of the Pet Oxygen Mask program is that it benefits your
town, your community, your neighborhood and, potentially, your pet. Knowing
that your fire station is equipped with a device that could save your pet’s
life is a great comfort to a pet owner and may one day save your beloved
furry friend. For information
on how you can donate a mask kit in your community or participate in this
program, please call the MVMACI office at 508.460.9333 or visit our Facebook Page or visit their website.
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