Westport in Brief
EverythingWestport.com
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Quick Article Index . . .
Safety
Day blow-out at Westport Family Medicine Center!
Surf and turf takes on a new significance
at Bud’s!
Westport Art Group proudly presents “Bon Appétit” at
Westport Rivers Winery
What’s
Happening to Allens Pond?
Westport Art Group
announces summer classes.
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Safety Day “blow out” at Westport
Family Medicine Center! EverythingWestport.com Saturday, June 6, 2009 View
high resolution photos of these event now 37 photos | Dial-up speed |
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“We had close to 125 people come by on Saturday morning,” reported
Donna Beaulieu, event organizer. “The 68 helmets we had on hand were gone early.
People still stayed and more came. They were all so appreciative about the
event.” “At 11:15 a.m. we ran out of helmets (they
were while quantities last) but everyone was great about it. People still stayed to have face painting, get
grab bags, balloons, refreshments and listen to the police officers talk
about bike safety. Then they received their certificate of safety,” Ms.
Beaulieu said. “It was a little overwhelming,” said Nancy Braga of the Westport
Police Department. “The event was heavily advertised and promoted, and the
free bicycle helmets were a huge draw.” Following up on last year’s highly successful program, the Westport
Family Medicine Center on 829 Main Road in Westport had agreed to sponsor
this year’s Bike And Car Seat Safety Day. Westport residents received first-hand safety information on child car seats and bike safety from a certified child
passenger safety specialist and his assistants from the Westport Police
Department.
Left: Westport police officer Lt. John Bell adjusts a bike helmet for Taylor
Borges, 10, of Westport while mom Beth Borges looks in approval. Right: Dr.
Scott Lauermann of the Westport Family Medicine Center explains
to Liam Sullivan, 7, and dad Kevin Sullivan of Westport the importance of
their bicycle helmets and summer safety while riding their bikes. The good
doctor distributed safety grab bags and safety certificates. “Helmet use can reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 88%,”
according to Westport Police Safety Officer Michael Roussel. “That’s why our
officers are giving out free helmets and providing instruction in the proper
adjustment and use.” According to Safety Kids USA® “Bicycles are associated with more childhood
injuries than any other consumer product except the automobile. More than 70
percent of children ages 5 to 14 (27.7 million) ride bicycles. This age
group rides 50 percent more than the average bicyclist and accounts for
approximately 21 percent of all bicycle-related deaths and nearly half of all
bicycle-related injuries.” They went on to say that “head injury is the leading cause of death in
bicycle crashes and is the most important determinant of bicycle-related
death and permanent disability. Head injuries account for more than 60
percent of bicycle-related deaths, more than two-thirds of bicycle-related
hospital admissions and about one-third of hospital emergency room visits for
bicycling injuries. The single most effective safety device available
to reduce head injury and death from bicycle crashes is a helmet.
Helmet use reduces the risk of bicycle-related death and injury and the
severity of head injury when a crash occurs. Unfortunately,
national estimates report that bicycle helmet use among child bicyclists
ranges only from 15 to 25 percent.”
“It was great to see the smiles on the children and parents’ faces,”
Ms. Beaulieu said. “It was a fun day for the staff and our visitors. Our physicians
had a great time. We are so proud! It
was such a positive event filled with laughter and smiles. It was non-stop from (9:10 a.m. - to 12:00
noon) with people actually standing in line and not minding it.” “Westport Family Medicine grabs bags consisted of: a bike reflector
that blinks when riding their bikes at dusk, parent information on how to buy
a bicycle for their child, bicycle registration card, tips for safe bicycle
riding, bike stickers, pencil and magnets.
The police department also gave out grab bags.” “I want to thank the police officers that did the helmets - David
Simcoe and John Bell. They were terrific.” Lee's Market donated the helium and balloons, and Village Bicycle
donated a $100.00 gift certificate to raffle off. “Dr. Li, Dr. Fielding, Dr. Lauermann and staff members Vera Baldwin,
Meagan Medeiros, Amy Fortier, Jennifer Moura, Ann Decotis and Gina Ward were
on my committee. Sergeant Plourde also
was on the committee. I can’t thank them enough for their hard work,” Ms.
Beaulieu said. Child car seats didn’t take a back seat during Safety Day!
“The wide range of temperature
changes in a vehicle, and UV deterioration of a seat’s materials when
installed in a vehicle come into play after several years of child safety
seat use,” officer Roussel said. “Stress points may develop from constant
seat belt tension. The expiration date insures these environmental issues
don’t become a factor in child seat safety use.” The Westport Police
Department received grant money from the State’s Executive Office of Public
Safety and Security (EOPSS) which enabled them to procure a trailer, truck,
tent, safety cones, and noodles (used to adjust seat position) and other
equipment to conduct these safety inspections. Car crashes are the leading cause of death of young children. Inspection checks revealed car
seats past their expiration dates and seats incorrectly installed. “It’s not
as simple as just placing the seat in the vehicle and strapping it in,”
officer Roussel said. “A child’s age, weight and size are taken into
consideration when positioning the seat (see chart below). The angle of the
seat more often than not needs to be adjusted with the help of a noodle. A
lot of the seats are quite complex, and need appropriate installation
attention (see left-most picture below). We want every child to leave these
inspections safe, and installation is a big part of that promise,” he said.
Officer Roussel is shown below left (center in photo) holding a sample seat
used to illustrate how long-term seat belt use can compromise a child safety
seat. Use this chart to determine what kind of safety
seat your child should ride in *
“It was very informative and we cannot wait until this fall to have
our next event (whatever we may decide in the near future). The Westport
Police Department was wonderful to work with. They were very supportive and
they were the ones who donated the helmets,” lauded Ms. Beaulieu. For more information on this event or the Westport Family Medicine
Center please call (508) 636-5101. Click here to read about last year’s event and to get all the
safety tips and regulations. Surf and turf takes on a new bearing at Bud’s! EverythingWestport.com Sunday, June 7, 2009 View
high resolution photos of these event now 37 photos | Dial-up speed |
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speed | Steve “Bud” Ferreira had a different idea when he and his two crew members opened Bud’s by the beach. His food concession/retail store combo will not serve steak and lobster, but burgers with surfboards and skateboards.
Summer fun and food seemed to fit the bill, land and sea style. Formerly the Way Back Eddy, Bud’s by the beach incorporates a food and merchandising formula found in more populous vacation spots. It is a welcome change for day trippers and week-long vacationers enjoying the summer in Westport, who need a place to call their own. “There is only table service dining in the immediate area,” Ferreira said. “It’s nice when you’re on vacation to rough it a bit; you know, sit outside under an umbrella and enjoy the summer air.” Bud’s retail store is sharp and well laid out, and offers something for everyone, from the athlete to the sunbather. His food concession is varied and sports a rather large menu – fish and chips and scallops to deli sandwiches, hot paninis to quesadillas, soups and salads, and ice cream! “Don’t forget to tell them it’s premium ice cream,” Chris said. The “crew” pictured left, from the left: George
Horner (retail manager), Chris Szulewski (chef), and Steve Ferreira. “We’ll be serving a light breakfast Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings.” Szulewski said. Lunch and dinner is seven days a week. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday to Sunday. “We have a rental arrangement with Village Bicycle,” Ferreira said, “and have a similar arrangement with Osprey Sea Kayak Adventures. We are working on other services as well to round out our offerings for day-time activities.” “My mom has owned two lots on East Beach for the last 40 years,” Ferreira said. “I love this area, and I’m happy to be a part of this new venture with Chris and George. I couldn’t do it without them.” Bud’s by the beach is located at the corner of Bridge Street
and Cherry & Webb Lane, across from the Back Eddy Restaurant. For more
information call (508) 636-5333.
The Westport Art Group Proudly Presents “Bon Appétit” At
The Westport Rivers Winery EverythingWestport.com Friday, June 05, 2009 Photos/EverythingWestport.com
Sales All
work will be for sale. Al Albrektson was their Juror Well-known
artist Al Albrektson, beloved teacher who has exhibited his award-winning
paintings throughout the South Coast area was the juror for “Bon Appétit”. Al
Albrektson received his art education at Rhode Island School of Design. He
made his career in the advertising field as Art Director with an agency and
finally operated his own advertising art studio, from which he has since
retired. Mr.
Albrektson is a member of Rockport Art Association, North Shore Arts
Association, Providence Art Club, Rhode Island Water Color Society, New
England Watercolor Society and other art organizations. Click
here to read everythingwestport.com article and
photo essay on “Bon Appétit”. Call
(508) 636-2114 for more information or visit their web site: www.westportartgroup.com What’s Happening to Allens Pond? By Gina Purtell Sanctuary Director,
Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary Mass Audubon Wednesday, June 3,
2009 Pond photo submitted by Betsy White; others by EverythingWestport.com
Coastal salt ponds, such as Allens
Pond, are dynamic ecosystems subject to storms, tidal fluctuations, and
accumulation or removal of plant material and sand. Left to its own devices,
Allens Pond would experience natural cycles of devastation and rebirth akin
to the effect of fires on forests. Each different stage along the path would
provide habitat for one group of species or another. Our human experience of
the pond is but a blip in the life span of the pond which began millennia
ago, after the retreat of glaciers. Every five to ten years there is a natural
closing of the Allens Pond inlet caused by sand carried by long-shore
currents. In the past, when the pond’s natural
closure occurred, humans reopened a channel to maintain tidal flow, creating
a system more similar to an estuary than a pond. This management had the
effect of removing the pond and its surrounding marsh community from the
cycle of decay and transformation for nearly a century. Because the timing of last year’s
natural closure coincided with the most
productive time of year, including when federally-listed piping plovers and
state-listed least terns were nesting, the dredging of the inlet had to be
limited. Unfortunately, this limited dredging was not sufficient to allow
drainage of the marsh during low tides. With the connection to Buzzards Bay
sealed off for an extended period of time, water levels in the pond rose to
the point where the marsh was under water for the entire summer and fall.
This led to a die-off of much of the marsh vegetation because although marsh
grasses are well adapted to the cycles of high and low tides, they become
stressed and die when they are continuously submerged for more than a month
or so. The pond is now
experiencing normal tidal exchange after a channel was dug last fall, so
mosquitoes are less likely to be a major issue this year. As an added
measure, Bristol County Mosquito Control Project (BCMCP) worked this spring
to clear ditches and provide saltwater movement into potential prime mosquito
breeding habitat. BCMCP Assistant Superintendent Steve Burns noted that the
best long-term control for mosquito populations is to manage the stagnant
water habitat. Mass Audubon and
BCMCP are both members of a collaborative management team that also includes
Dartmouth Conservation Commission, Dartmouth Board of Health, Allens Pond
Association, Little Beach Association, the School for Marine Science and
Technology, state and federal agencies, and coastal engineers. Responding to
the permitting requirements of regulatory agencies, the group’s goal is to develop
a scientifically based long-term management plan to guide the management of
the inlet that connects Allens Pond to Buzzards Bay. The group is working to
protect the wildlife and public and environmental health of the area. It is
terrific to see this diverse group of stakeholders cooperate and proactively
take measures to avoid the crisis mode of the past and develop a long term
plan for managing the opening to the Pond. Last summer, the
Mass Environmental Trust (MET) awarded Mass Audubon’s Allens Pond Wildlife
Sanctuary a grant to study pond dynamics and water quality protection.
According to Mass Audubon Regional Scientist Robert Buchsbaum, “this pond
die-off is something that probably used to happen naturally all the time. Our
project was able to collect data on the pond vegetation and bird life before
the flooding and vegetation loss and now we are in a good position to study
the anticipated recovery of the marsh. We believe that the vegetation will
slowly re-colonize the marsh over the next several years, although you never
can be sure how natural systems will respond to stresses like these.” The lessons learned
from the MET project and other ongoing monitoring efforts will provide
insight for management of Allens Pond and other similar salt ponds along the
coast. As the pond and its vegetation and wildlife continue to adapt to
changing environmental conditions, Allens Pond will add “Living Laboratory”
to the many functions it provides to people and to wildlife along Buzzards
Bay. Mass Audubon’s Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary will be hosting a
public presentation on the MET project at 4 p.m. on the afternoon of Sunday,
June 28th at the Allens Neck Friends Meeting House on Horseneck Road. Please
call for more details: (508) 636-2437. Gina Purtell Sanctuary Director,
Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary Mass Audubon For more information about this issue, click here to read the EverythingWestport.com article and view photos from last year’s Mosquito Mayhem at Allens Pond.
Westport Art Group announces Summer
Classes! EverythingWestport.com Saturday, June 06, 2009
Wednesday
Painting Wednesday mornings in July and August, 9 a.m. to 12 noon Join us as we explore the beautiful scenery around us on Wednesday
mornings in July and August. You must be a member of WAG to participate.
Please call Madeleine Ferraz at (401) 635-2739 for more information. ·
$40 for a 4-week month ·
$50 for a 5-week month ·
$15 a class ·
Instructor: David Seibert Thursday
Painting Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 12 noon Join us as we explore the beautiful scenery around us. You must be a
member of WAG to participate. Classes are at the WAG Center, 1740 Main Road,
Westport Point, MA 02791, in inclement weather. Please call Judy Keeley at
401-274-1470 for more information. ·
$40 for a 4-week month ·
$50 for a 5-week month ·
$15 a class ·
Instructor: David Seibert Go Figure! 3rd
Annual Reception & Open House Artwork by the artists who have participated in the Figure Drawing
Workshop during the past year will be on display June 19, 2009 from 5 to 8
pm. There will be light refreshments. Please join us! All artists who came to
the Workshop can bring some art to display. No framing required! WAG Center,
1740 Main Road, Westport Point, MA 02791. Contact Carolyn Winter at (401) 624-1699
for more information. Figure Drawing
Workshop Wednesday mornings, 9 a.m. to 12 noon Join us to paint or draw the figure. All media welcome. No instructor.
Classes are at the WAG Center, 1740 Main Road, Westport Point, MA 02791.
Contact Carolyn Winter at (401) 624-1699 for more information. Open to all. ·
$40 for a 4-week month ·
$50 for a 5-week month ·
$15 a class Evening Figure
Workshop The Figure Workshop will hold evening sessions in addition to our
Wednesday morning classes for July and August on Tuesday evenings: July 7
& 14 & August 4, 11, 18 & 25, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. The fee will be $20
for July and $40 for August or $15 a class. It’s open to all. There is no
instructor. Classes are at the WAG Center, 1740 Main Road, Westport Point, MA
02791. Contact Carolyn Winter at (401)-624-1699 for more information. Anyone Can Do
Portraits! 10 Sessions Beginning June 6, 2009, Saturdays, 1:00ñ3:00 p.m. (no
class July 4) Cost: $165 Westport Art Group member, Judy Erickson, is offering a Portrait
Workshop at the Westport Art Group studio, beginning June 6, 2009. The course
offered will teach the following: ·
Introduction to Portraits ·
Planes of the Human Head ·
Modeling the Form ·
Gesture Drawing of the Head ·
Value, Half Tones ·
Color Contact Judy to reserve your seat and get your supply list. Phone: (508) 493-2193 or email: judyfallriver@yahoo.com The classes will be held at the Westport Art Group Studio, 1740 Main
Rd., Westport. Limited Class Size. Call Now to Reserve Your Seat. 10% discount for WAG Members Anyone Can Learn
to Draw! 10 Sessions Beginning June 7, 2009, Sundays, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. (no
class July 5) Cost: $150, 10% discount for WAG members Westport Art Group member, Judy Erickson, is offering classical
drawing instruction at the Westport Art Group studio, beginning June 7, 2009.
The course offered will teach the following: ·
Gesture Drawing ·
Silhouette ·
Construction ·
Contour ·
Value ·
Perspective ·
Composition ·
Finish ·
Planes of the Human Head ·
Introduction to Portraits Contact Judy to reserve your seat and get your supply list. Phone: (508)
493-2193 or email: judyfallriver@yahoo.com The classes will be held at the Westport Art Group Studio, 1740 Main
Rd., Westport Limited Class Size. Call Now to Reserve Your Seat. 10% discount for
WAG Members The Westport Art Group The Westport Art Group is a
non-profit organization that supports education in the arts with classes, art
exhibits and scholarships to high school seniors. The mission of the Westport
Art Group is to stimulate and promote the appreciation and encouragement of
the arts and crafts. Call (508) 636-2114 or visit www.westportartgroup.com for more
information. - - - - End -
- - - © 2009 Community Events of Westport All rights reserved. |
