Westport
in Brief!
EverythingWestport.com
Saturday,
April 12, 2014
photos/EverythingWestport.com except as noted.
Quick
Article Index . . .
The
Westport Food for Friends Food Pantry is on the move.
April Vacation Week Adventure Days at Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary!
Westport Fire Department launches new
senior outreach program.
Westport’s
Council on Aging on the move.
For those TV movie buffs that just can’t get enough!
Westport Rivers
Vineyard and Winery announces their Sunset Music Concert Series for 2014.
South Coast Youth Corps Accepting Applications.
|
The
Westport Food for Friends Food Pantry is on the move. EverythingWestport.com Saturday,
April 12, 2014 The Westport Food
Pantry is on the move. After extensive searching
and planning—and a generous offer—the Westport Food Pantry will be located,
as of May 1, at the Lighthouse Assembly of God, 522 American Legion Highway
(Route 177, near the intersection of Sanford Road). The pantry hours
will now be 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday nights. There will be no
other changes for current pantry clients. Town residents aged 18 and over
will still be able to come for food every other week. If you believe you may
be eligible for the pantry and have not yet signed up, stop by the church
during pantry hours for assistance. “The Westport Food For
Friends Food Pantry is on the move. Due to space issues at the WCOA, the
pantry will be moving, and be in our new location by May 1st. We are very
happy about the move and hope we can help more people who may be in need.” - Heather Wilson, Manager Food and other
donations can still be dropped off at Lees Market, Grum’s
Restaurant, the Westport Library, and the bin located outside the church
door.
Checks to support
the pantry should be made out to The Lighthouse Assembly of God with Food
Pantry noted at the bottom. Every dollar donated is worth $10 from the
grocery store due to our involvement with The Greater Boston Food Bank. Volunteers, both
individuals and groups, are always needed. If interested, please emailwww.wstpantryvolunteer@gmail.com. For any questions about the
pantry, call the church main number at 508.636.4470. April
Vacation Week Adventure Days at Allens Pond
Wildlife Sanctuary! EverythingWestport.com Sunday, April 13,
2014 Mass Audubon Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary is offering an exciting
vacation week opportunity for children in grades K-5 that encourages and
activates a child's sense of curiosity and love of nature. Each day starts
with a discovery map, charting the course for the day's program topic. We'll
start exploring each topic indoors with some learning games and activities,
then venture outside for more investigation, field trip fun and ecological
exploration. Each day starts
at 8 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. Participants must wear and bring suitable
clothing and footwear for outdoor activity and a sack lunch. Morning and
afternoon snacks are provided in the program cost. Field trip transportation
is provided by Mass Audubon, or you may choose to drop your child off and
pick them up at our off-site location for that day. Monday 4/21: Coastal Ecology of
Gooseberry Island Tuesday 4/22: Pine Forests of Great Neck Wednesday 4/23: Farm Animals at Allens Neck Thursday 4/24: Binoculars and Birds at Allens Pond Friday 4/25: Vernal Pools and Wetlands at
Stone Barn Farm Cost is $40/day per
child for Mass Audubon Members; $50/day per child for non-members. There is a
10% sibling discount. Registration is
required. Register online or call 508.636.2437 to register by phone. Statewide Volunteer Day - A Morning of
Butterfly Garden Ecology & Beautification Saturday, Apr 26th from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
at Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary, Westport. Join us! It's Statewide Volunteer Day and we would
love to have your help! This year,
we've chosen to work on the field station butterfly garden, and will enjoy a
lesson in butterfly and pollinator garden ecology as we work to make the
garden a successful habitat (and Monarch way station) for the upcoming
season. Please dress for
a morning's work outdoors and bring any garden tools you would like to
use. We'll have gloves and tools
available for anyone who does not have their own. We will provide sunscreen and insect
repellent. We will also
provide light refreshments throughout the morning. The Allens Pond field station is located at 1280 Horseneck Road in Westport, MA. There is plenty of free
parking and an available restroom. Registration is
required. Register online or call 508.636.2437 to register by phone. Birding Allens
Pond. Friday, May 2nd from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m. and
Friday May 30th from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m. at the Allens
Pond Wildlife Sanctuary, 1280 Horseneck Road
Westport MA. This is an adult
program; members: $6.00 and nonmembers: $8.00. Join us for a
morning of birding...with your friends at Allens
Pond! We'll meet at the Allens Pond field station and then agree on the location(s)
to bird. Instructions and Directions: Dress for an
outdoor walk and please bring binoculars and/or a scope, if you have them. A
light pack with snack and water bottle is also helpful, as is sunscreen and
insect repellant. Registration is
required Register online or call 508.636.2437 to register by phone. The Elusive Spotted Turtle. Saturday, May 3rd from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. at
Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary, Westport. Members: Adult
$4.00, Child $4.00; Nonmembers: Adult $6.00, Child $6.00 The elusive and
sometimes comically-clumsy spotted turtle, though relatively common, is a
species not commonly seen by many.
These clever animals reside in and around vernal pools, wet meadows,
brooks and streams and in scrub swamps and can be found in areas of our
wildlife sanctuary. Join turtle
experts Sue Wieber Nourse
and Don Lewis and Allens Pond staff as we learn
more about the species and embark on a hike to discover spotted turtles at Allens Pond. We
will learn about their behavior and what data scientists collect and manage
to better understand this fascinating creature. Please dress for
an outdoor hike and wear shoes suitable for wet conditions. Registration is
required. Register online or call 508.636.2437 to register by phone. Early Birding with Paul Champlin. Sunday, May 4th from 5:30 a.m. until noon and
Sunday, May 18th from 5:30 a.m. until noon at Gooseberry Island, Westport MA. Instructor: Paul Champlin - Teacher Naturalist Audience: Adult Members: Adult
$15.00; Nonmembers: Adult $18.00 Ready for a half
day birding adventure? The group will meet
near sunrise at Gooseberry Island, then will travel
to Allens Pond field station, Stone Barn Farm
and/or the Allens Neck trail system, depending on
what we sight. Please dress for
some extended time outdoors and bring your optics and a light pack with water
and snacks. You can expect to walk in
a variety of ecosystems and shoes that work in sand as well as rocky
shoreline and meadow/trail highly recommended. Please note that
this program requires registration and is subject to cancellation if minimum
enrollment is not met. Instructions and
Directions: Meet at the Gooseberry Island parking lot. There is a portable
toilet available in the parking lot. Registration is
required. Register online or call 508.636.2437 to register by phone. Junior Bird Club. Wednesday, May 7th from 6 - 7:30 p.m. at Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary, 1280 Horseneck
Road Westport MA. You're
invited....check out our next meeting! Junior Bird Club
is a free program group, open to children and adults of all ages. The Club
meets each month and focuses on a variety of local species with loads of
hand-on field study and guided birding walks on our Sanctuary properties. Many stewardship
initiatives and projects are also introduced and the kids can get as involved
as they want to. Come check it out and join in on the fun and learning! Dress for an
outdoor adventure and bring your scope or binoculars. Don't have any? We do
and will gladly lend them to you while you're here! Instructions and Directions: Meet at the Allens Pond field station and dress for an outdoor hike
along the beach. Registration is
required. Register online or call 508.636.2437 to register by phone. Westport
Fire Department launches a new senior outreach program. Westport
Cares is an expandable program that will allow an avenue in which a new wave of
community Paramedicine* can be established. EverythingWestport.com Sunday, April 13,
2014 The Westport Fire Department launches new
senior outreach program. In a collaborative effort
with the Westport Council on Aging, the Westport Fire Department has announced
the rollout of a new program that offers services to older adults and at-risk
members in the community. The Westport
Cares Outreach Program is to help keep these community members safe and
in their own homes. According to Westport Fire
Chief, Brian Legendre “This partnership pairs trained professionals from the
fire department with outreach workers to enhance an already strong program
run through the Westport Council on Aging.
The program allows this team with whom the older population already
knows and is comfortable with to meet in the safety and privacy of their own
homes to discuss ways to make their surroundings safer.” Westport Fire
Chief Brian Legendre is pleased to announce the rollout of a new program
offered by the department in conjunction with the Westport Council on Aging,
Westport Cares Program will offer service to older adults and at risk members
of the community. The goal of the
program is to help keep these community members safe and in their own homes. As the number of
elderly Americans increases, service programs committed to helping older
adults live at home with as much dignity and independence as possible must be
developed. Westport Cares is an outreach program specifically designed to
assist this at risk population. This partnership
pairs trained professionals from the fire department with outreach workers to
enhance an already strong program run through the Westport Council on
Aging. The program allows this team
with whom the older population already knows and is comfortable with to meet
in the safety and privacy of their own homes to discuss ways to make their
surroundings safer. The Westport
Cares Program provides an opportunity for a friendly well-being check and
access to a variety of services specific to the individual’s needs. The focus
of the visit centers on a needs assessment, medical identification program,
trip prevention, heating safety, bath room safety, cooking safety, along with
smoke and CO detector checks. Referral programs
already associated with the Council on Aging include meals on wheels,
self-help, food pantry, transportation options and information regarding the
ever changing and complicated insurance landscape including Medicare. Westport Cares is
an expandable program that will further allow an avenue in which a new
wave of community Paramedicine* (see below) can be established. With the federal implementation of a
fundamental change in the nation’s healthcare system, a strong emphasis will
be put on medial outreach programs. Some of the items offered to participants
in the program will be: Smoke Detectors, CO Detectors, Bath mats, Night
lights, Flashlights, File of life, Home Safety Information and Training. For more
information on receiving assistance for yourself or others through this
program please contact Deputy Fire Chief Allen Manley at 508.636.1110. * Community paramedicine (CP) is a new
and evolving model of community-based health care in which paramedics
function outside their customary emergency response and transport roles in
ways that facilitate more appropriate use of emergency care resources and/or
enhance access to primary care for medically underserved populations. CP programs typically are designed to address specific local problems
and to take advantage of locally developed linkages and collaborations
between and among emergency medical services (EMS) and other health care and
social service providers and, thus, are varied in nature. Interest in
community paramedicine has substantially grown in
recent years based on the belief that it may improve access to and quality of
care while also reducing costs. Westport’s Council on
Aging on the move. EverythingWestport.com Wednesday, April 9, 2014 The Westport
Senior Center, despite budget cuts and slim resources, manages to put
together a rostrum of events and activities that belie its ability to produce
them. Their
recent 3 dollar “soup and sandwich” lunch special with live entertainment,
and last week’s Healthy Aging free seminar on Sodium & Hydration: Knowledge is Power are two sterling
examples of volunteerism and senior activism at work to benefit Westport’s
aging population. Fighting
for meager town funding that supports wholesome activities for a hefty 23
percent of Westport’s population, the Senior Center
is a remarkable resource that practices what it preaches - life on a
shoestring. Monday, April 7 -
Free Seminar ‘Sodium & Hydration:
Knowledge is Power’ at the Westport
Senior Center. This free seminar was from 10 - 11 a.m. Led by five
nursing students from Bristol Community College, there were games,
interactive learning exercises, and each participant received an educational
take-home packet. “9 out of 10 Americans consume too much sodium.”
- The American Heart Association. This fun and educational morning
explored simple ways to reduce sodium in your diet and stay hydrated. Click here to review Many thanks to Cowboy Al Cote For his generous donation of all
the food supplies we used for the March and April Soup and Sandwich
Luncheons. No registration is necessary, just
drop by to participate. Westport Senior Center, 75 Reed
Road, Westport. For more information please call
508.636.1026.
For those TV
movie buffs that just can’t get enough!
With
the Charter TV App, Westport customers now have full control of their TV
experience in the palm of their hands. EverythingWestport.com
Charter
Communications announced the Charter TV App is now available to download
for free on the Apple iTunes App Store, Amazon Appstore
and Android Apps on Google Play. Charter TV customers can now
watch over 130 live TV Channels anywhere inside their home on their mobile
devices such as tablets or smartphones. With the Charter
TV App, customers now have even more choice in where and how they watch their
favorite programming at no extra charge. Charter TV customers, can now
watch over 130 live TV channels, browse thousands of On Demand titles and TV
listings, schedule DVR recordings, and get recommendations and more. The unique Kid
Zone feature enables easy access to pre-approved kid-friendly content, creating
a safe viewing experience for children. For sports fans, the Charter TV App
Sport Zone feature gives fans instant access to scores and sports
content. (Sport Zone is currently available on iOS, Android is
forthcoming). Customers can even use their device as a remote to change
channels on their TV. With the Charter
TV App customers now have full control of their TV experience in the palm of
their hands. "We are
excited to bring our customers the Charter TV App delivering greater choice
and flexibility in how they watch their favorite content in their
homes," said Rich DiGeronimo, Charter's senior
vice president, product and strategy. "Our new Charter TV App provides a
fully-interactive and user-friendly viewing experience, allowing customers to
watch live TV, customize DVR recordings, and browse thousands of On Demand
titles efficiently and intuitively."
Key Charter TV App Features:
Requirements:
Customers needing
assistance please call 1.888.GET.CHARTER or visit http://www.Charter.com/CharterTVApp Westport
Rivers Vineyard and Winery announces their Sunset Music Concert Series For
2014. EverythingWestport.com Sunday, April 13,
2014 The family-owned
farm in Westport is proud to announce its Sunset Music Series for 2014. They
have an amazing and diverse line up of local talent this season you don’t
want to miss. What a great way
to celebrate to celebrate TGIF! The series begins
on Friday, June 20th with Gary Farias from 6 to 8 p.m. The winery will
feature live entertainment as the sun sets over the picturesque vineyard
grounds. For the first time they will feature special Saturday performances
in August on the 16th and 23rd from 6 – 8 p.m. and a Clam Bake on August
30th. It's a picnic style event, and attendees may bring their own food or
enjoy a variety of delicacies from Compton Clambakes & Catering and once
again a raw bar will be provided by Cuttyhunk
Shellfish Farms. Don't forget a blanket, chairs, bug spray, glasses and a
cork screw. They grow 80 acres of grapes including: chardonnay, pinot noir, riesling, rkatsiteli, pinot
blanc, pinot gris, gruner
veltliner, muscat, pinot meunier and more. Their store is open Monday through Saturday year round, from 11 a.m. to
5 p.m.
South
Coast Youth Corps Accepting Applications. EverythingWestport.com Sunday, April 13,
2014 For most high
school students a summer job means working for minimum wage in fast food or
retail, if they are lucky enough to find work at all. But for some area youth
a summer job means pulling on a pair of waders and sloshing into the water to
test the quality of a local brook, leading a group of children into the woods
for a nature walk or building a boardwalk for a new hiking trail on
conservation land. These youth are part of the South Coast Youth Corps, a
program that offers in-depth learning and leadership opportunities for teens
interested in outdoor environmental work. The Trustees of Reservation is
currently accepting applications for the summer of 2014. For more information
about the program and how to apply contact Linton Harrington at The Trustees
of Reservations, 508.636.4693 ext. 104 or email lharrington@ttor.org. While there’s
been a lot of talk in recent years about “green jobs” the South Coat Youth
Corps actually delivers them to urban youth who have limited opportunities
for meaningful employment. As part of its environmental education programs,
The Trustees of Reservations launched the youth corps to provide teens with a
job that does more than just supply spending money. “These students are
getting a taste of what professional ecologists, land managers, and
environmental scientists do,” says Linton Harrington, South Coast Education
Coordinator for The Trustees of Reservations. “These young people are getting
their hands dirty and their feet wet while completing projects that connect
them to nature and their communities.” The Youth Corps
program channels the energy of youth into real world projects that build
leadership skills and a sense of civic engagement. Projects undertaken
by the youth include planting trees, clearing hiking trails, and harvesting
organic vegetables from community gardens to donate to a local food pantry.
In addition, the Youth Corps students serve as trail guides, environmental
research assistants, and ambassadors to the community. Many graduates of the
program have gone on to study environmental science, natural resource
management or to pursue other environmental careers. Most students in
the youth corps program are from the cities Fall River or New Bedford and for
many it’s their first real outdoors experience. “I’ve come to see that what
we do affects everything around us…this experience has had an effect on my
attitude toward wanting to help improve and protect the environment,” says
one youth in the program. Although the work is often physically demanding and
requires being outside in the hot summer sun, the youth learn to appreciate
the value of the work they do. As one youth puts it, “Having this job made me
more aware of my surroundings and that we only have one life so we should
make it a clean and good life. It’s made me realize that one person could
make a difference in the community.” For young people
ages 16 to 19 who enjoy working outside and have an interest in the
environment, the South Coast Youth Corps is much more than a summer job; it
is a powerful learning experience that incorporates academic and work skills
into practical projects that provide real benefits to the local community and
environment. © 2014 Community Events of Westport. All rights
reserved. EverythingWestport.com |
