Westport
in Brief!
EverythingWestport.com
Tuesday,
September 09, 2014
photos/EverythingWestport.com except as noted
Quick
Article Index . . .
The
2014 Duck Derby winners are off to Hawaii with their prize quacker,
Linny Cakes!
Fort Phoenix to host Revolutionary War encampment.
Westport
Affordable Housing Trust Fund Announces New Housing Funding Program.
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The
2014 Duck Derby winners are off to Hawaii with their prize quacker, Linny Cakes! EverythingWestport.com Tuesday, September 09, 2014 View video of the 11th Allens Pond Sanctuary’s 2014 Duck
Derby. Click here for more
photos and a list of all winners! Linda Crossley
was on a trip with her girlfriends in Atlantic City earlier this year when
one mentioned the Allens Pond Duck Derby and its
fantastic grand prize of dinner for two, anywhere in the world with 2 nights’
lodging and round-trip airfare...and she thought “wow – that’s nice.” Fast forward to a
summer lunch at the Bayside, where Malcolm Johnston and Michaela Kerxhalli-Kleinfield were selling duck entries for the
Derby and Linda adopted two – one for her and her husband, Richard and one
for her daughter. She said she’s never
won anything and thought that a gift certificate to Peckham’s
Greenhouse would be nice. Well, didn’t she
get the surprise of her life when Sanctuary Director Gina Purtell
phoned to tell her she won first place!
Above: Linda and Richard Crossley
2014 Duck Derby Winners submitted photo Linda and her
family reside in Fall River, and she was helping her daughter with a project
at home when she heard Gina’s voice on the answering machine. “I called her right back!” 30 quackers shy
of a record! On Saturday,
August 16th, 5778 rubber ducks entered the water and raced through the
channel at Barney’s Joy to win the grand prize and 42 others. Linda’s duck, “Linny Cakes”
took the lead and never looked back. Thanks to the generosity
of all event sponsors, it was the 11th running of the Annual Allens Pond Duck Derby Fundraiser where all proceeds
directly benefit the sanctuary. This year, the Duck Derby grossed over
$50,000 and continues to be the largest fundraiser for the sanctuary. The 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 music from Don Legge. 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. All in all, the event was a major success
and showed great support for the Sanctuary and its conservation efforts,
educational programming and environmental advocacy. So where are Linda and her dinner companion
going? “We thought about
Rome, but decided on Hawaii. I’ve
always said when I retire, that’s where I would go” said Linda. She and Richard are looking forward to a
trip to Oahu filled with natural beauty, and a stop in Pearl Harbor to view
the USS Arizona Memorial. 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. Thanks to all of
the prize donors - 42 in all; with special thanks to the grand prize sponsors - Sylvan Nursery, The Bayside Restaurant, Nye
Synthetic Lubricants, Robert B. Feingold & Associates, P.C. and
Oppenheimer, as well as Buckley and Moniz, Village Travel and Austin Limousine
Service. The Ducky Dash
5k, run on August 2nd, where all entrants received an entry to the Duck
Derby, was made possible by the generous support of The Ladera
Foundation, New York Bagel and 3C Race Productions. Festival sponsors were Sperry Tents,
Coastal Roasters, The Westporter, Eva’s Garden, the
Bayside Restaurant, Whaling City Sound and Fiber Optic Center. It is with this combined support that all
duck adoption funds go directly to Allens Pond. Event recap. Linda Crossley’s duck, Linny Cakes, takes the 11th Running of the
Ducks at South Dartmouth’s Barney’s Joy. Allens Pond Sanctuary really should give a
consolation prize for the most curious name these duck handlers give their
entrants! The
Fall River resident now has two difficult decisions to make; where in the
world she will have dinner for two, and more importantly, who with! The
Grand Prize winner won dinner for two, anywhere in the world, including
transportation and two-nights lodging when her duck, Linny Cakes, stayed the course, holding back a
field of 5778 bright yellow rubber ducks to take top honors.
Above: The
quirky quackers break from the gate in the 11th
running of Allens Pond Duck Derby. At
exactly 10:36 a.m. duck number 4897 now known to be Linny
Cakes, crossed the finish line well ahead of the flock. Duck
Number 4897 was never challenged in the 1.1 furlong race at Barney’s Joy. A
strong west wind and incoming tide propelled the competitors to record times,
with nary a duck missing the capture booms at the race’s end. “We’re
30 ducks shy of a record,” bubbled Gina Purtell, Allens Pond Sanctuary Director. “It was great day for our
Duck Derby, and I’m so excited!” As well
she should be as the decade-old fundraiser brings in thousands of dollars each
year to assist the conservation and protection efforts of this local Audubon
sanctuary. And it
was great weather for ducks, what with clear skies and balmy temperatures.
Race conditions were perfect. View video of the 11th Allens Pond Sanctuary’s 2014 Duck
Derby.
Above:
Dashing Ducky Linny Cakes is plucked from the fray
at the finish line, winning Fall River resident, Linda Crossley, a Dinner for
two anywhere in the world.
Above, left: the “slacker
duck” is rescued from the water. Right:
the “stealth duck” is pulled from the finish gate. Click here for more
photos and a list of all winners! EverythingWestport.com Thursday, September 11, 2014 Seizing on a tip, Westport police vehicles
converged on an Old County Road residence in search of stolen Sailor’s
Valentines from a local restaurant, but wound up instead discovering a large
cache of guns, ammo, marijuana and Oxycodone pills. A tip from two suspects arrested in that
break-in led police to a house owned by Dwayne and Stephanie Hart. The art collection, created by local artist
Barbara Chadwick, is valued at over $15,000. The Harts were arrested Tuesday after police
executed a search warrant at their Old County Road home, located across the
street from Westport Public Library and in a school zone. Officers impounded two pounds of marijuana
packaged for distribution, digital scales, 30mg and 5mg Oxycodone pills, a
stun gun, and 19 large-capacity feeding devices for several rifles. Police
said each pound of marijuana is street-valued at approximately $1,500.
Above: Evidence seized from a
home on Old County Road in Westport. (Photo courtesy of Westport Police) Detectives were led to the home while
investigating a break-in at Marguerite’s Restaurant on August 15th in which
11 Sailor’s Valentines valued at more than $15,000 were stolen. Police said they found three rifle magazines
stamped “Law Enforcement Restricted,” while most of the other magazines were
7.62 caliber, including numerous 100-round capacity,
75-round capacity, 50-round capacity and 30-round capacity. According to police, the two suspects have
firearms licenses, but were not licensed to possess large-capacity magazines. The couple was charged with possession of a
large-capacity feeding device, possession with intent to distribute marijuana
in a school zone, possession of a Class B substance without a prescription,
and possession of a stun gun. They were released on $500 bail pending their
arraignments, which are scheduled for Wednesday. Fort
Phoenix to host Revolutionary War encampment. EverythingWestport.com Sunday, September
14, 2014 In September
1778, during the Revolutionary War, about 4,000 British soldiers who were
landed from 36 transport ships attacked the four villages situated on the
Acushnet River. During the raid houses, ships and business places in New
Bedford, Acushnet and Fairhaven were ransacked and burned. The fort at Nolscot Point in Fairhaven, now called Fort Phoenix, was
destroyed by British troops. It took years for the local waterfront
industries to recover from the raid. On Saturday and
Sunday, September 27th and 28th, members of the Fairhaven Village Militia
will once again recall the days of the British attack during a weekend
encampment at Fort Phoenix. Men, women and children dressed in period
clothing will reenact life in 1778 and talk about the history of the fort.
They will also be demonstrating campfire cooking, musket ball casting,
military drilling, loading and firing flintlock muskets and rifles, cannon
firing, colonial handcrafts, 18th-century dentistry and medicine and more.
Visitors may try their hand at tomahawk throwing and children's games of the
period. The highlight of
the weekend will be the firing of the fort's five cannons, scheduled for
dusk, about 6:30 p.m., on Saturday. When fired near sundown, the cannons'
plumes of flames and smoke make a spectacular sight. The Fairhaven
Village Militia, which is sponsoring the event along with the Fairhaven
Office of Tourism, is made up of members who are interested in local history
of the Revolutionary War period. They hold historical encampments in
Fairhaven and nearby communities and host educational programs. The group's
commander, Ellsworth Sylvaria Jr., is a descendant
of Bartholomew West, whose home was burned by the British in 1778. The group
includes individuals and families from Fairhaven and surrounding communities. "We have
been holding September encampments at Fort Phoenix since 2003," says
Tourism Director Christopher Richard. "A few years ago we started
holding them in the spring as well. Since we began our programs at the fort,
thousands of people, including hundreds of school children, cruise ship passengers,
visitors and local residents have visited us at Fort Phoenix. They find our
presentations are both educational and entertaining. The militia has also
taken part in events at Fort Taber in New Bedford and has paraded and camped
in surrounding communities during special events. Once again, this
year some members of a British reenacting group, the 54th Regiment of Foot,
have been invited to take part in the weekend activities at the fort. Mr. Richard said,
"At the encampment, the group is depicting camp life during the
Revolutionary War period. There will be regular demonstrations of musket
firing and the firing of our own small cannon, but there will be no
large-scale battle re-enactments." Both the cannon firing
and the overnight encampment will be cancelled in the event of rain. Weather permitting, the militia will be at the fort from 9 a.m.
Saturday until about 3 p.m. Sunday. Members of the
militia will also be holding a fundraising bake sale and selling T-shirts
during the event. For more
information, call the Office of Tourism at 508.979.4085 or e-mail FairhavenTours@aol.com. Westport
Affordable Housing Trust Fund Announces New Housing Funding Program. The town's current Subsidized Housing
Inventory is 3.5%, which means a shortage of 417 affordable housing units to
meet the state's Chapter 40B 10% goal. EverythingWestport.com Sunday, September
14, 2014 The Westport
Affordable Housing Trust Fund (the Trust) has announced the availability of a
funding program to support the creation of affordable housing in the Town of
Westport. The Seed Housing Funding
Program (SEED) seeks applications for funds from qualified project proponents
to create multiple new affordable housing units in Westport, Massachusetts.
Funding will be granted per affordable housing unit created. “Only proposals that contain
at least 30% affordable dwelling units in the total project will be considered
for funding.” - Westport Affordable Housing Trust Fund Committee The resulting
affordable housing units must be eligible for inclusion on the Department of
Housing and Community Development (DHCD) Chapter 40B Subsidized Housing
Inventory (SHI). The town's current SHI is 3.5%, which means a shortage of
417 affordable housing units to meet the state's Chapter 40B 10% goal. On the
other hand, DHCD has set incremental thresholds for the production of
affordable units in a given year. If 32 or more affordable housing units are
developed in a given year, DHCD may certify the town's Housing Production
Plan as meeting the regional need for affordable housing for one year. The
SEED program seeks to support the town's goal of meeting DHCD's incremental
thresholds. Click here to get more information on Seed Housing Funding Program Loans. PDF Click here to get more information Seed Housing Funding Program Grants. PDF Only proposals
that contain at least 30% affordable dwelling units in the total project will
be considered for funding. Strong preference will be given to organizations
with a demonstrated ability to create multiple units of affordable housing,
leverage grant resources and address Westport's diverse housing needs as
stated in the Town of Westport Housing Production Plan. The Trust will
evaluate the projects based on target population, environmental
considerations, the community planning and outreach process, and site plan
and building design. There is a
demonstrated need for affordable housing in Westport. A family of four
earning up to $57,750 per year or an individual living alone with total
earnings up to $40,450 would qualify as low-income households. Income limits
are defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
About 25 percent of the households in Westport are considered low to moderate
income families. Over 1,500 Westport households have applied for social
services available to low-income households. For more
information about the SEED program, qualifying criteria, and to request an
application packet, visit http://affordablehousing.westport-ma.com/
or contact Leonardi
Aray, Housing specialist at 617.270.3912 or email: leonardi@larayarchitects.com. © 2014 Community Events of Westport. All rights
reserved. EverythingWestport.com |
