Gordon Joseloff First Selectman

t was a honor to march in today’s Memorial Day parade as first selectman and to make some remarks afterward on Veterans Green. For the record, here’s what I had to say:

Honored guests,

What a wonderful Memorial Day parade. Thank you to Bill Vornkahl for his efforts on this parade, Veterans Day, and just about every event in Westport that involves marching.

I have walked this parade every year for the past 15 years, wearing either a firefighter’s uniform as a member of the Westport Volunteer Fire Department or as a member of the Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Service. I am delighted to march this year as still a member of both units but also this time as your first selectman.

I first marched in a Westport Memorial Day parade about 50 years ago as a Cub Scout or a Little League member. I am not sure now which. While the details of those years have started to fade, I still remember well though the small town feeling, the spirit of patriotism,and the outpouring then to our veterans, especially those who fought in Korea, World War II and World War I.

But those who have studied Memorial Day and its history know that it began as Decoration Day to honor Union soldiers who died during the American Civil War.

Many of the states of the U.S. South refused to celebrate Decoration Day due to the lingering hostility towards the Union Army. Many Southern states did not recognize Memorial Day until after World War I.

Westport’s observance of Decoration Day began in the late 1870s with Civil War veterans visiting cemeteries to decorate the graves of war dead.

More "Memorial Day -- A Time to Say "Thank You""

he issue of open space has long been discussed in Westport and recently it was in the news again. Today’s Westport News printed a column I wrote in response to recent comments in its news columns as well on its editorial pages. It is reprinted below:

By Gordon F. Joseloff
Westport First Selectman

The issue of “open space” has been discussed in the news columns of this newspaper and most recently in Woody Klein’s “Out of the Woods” column. Unfortunately, my good friend Woody ends his column in a manner that might lead some to believe that I am in favor of turning Westport into “just another overcrowded, polluted exurb with no particular character or room to breathe clean air.”

Northing could be farther from the truth. In my 14 years on the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) I repeatedly advocated for and voted for purchase of land for use as open space and for municipal use. I have repeatedly objected to selling portions of Baron’s South to the Y because Westport has so much need for land for its own purposes.

At the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting the other night, Finance Director Don Miklus and I told members that setting aside $500,000 a year in a fund to purchase land was not as cost-effective as seeking to bond a purchase when something comes available. We have adequate funds in place now ($300,000-plus) to put down a binder on a property or to pay for other land acquisition preliminaries.

I emphasized to the commission and later to Westport News reporter Kirk Lang that purchase of open land while a priority, was one of a number of my priorities, including erecting housing for our seniors who want to downsize, for empty-nesters who want to remain in Westport, and for our municipal employees, most of whom cannot afford to live here.

For our police and firefighters, it’s not merely an issue of convenience. It’s a serious public safety concern. With most of our first responders living out of town, they would not be here in case of a sudden crisis and would have a hard time getting here.

We have made progress in recent years in purchasing land for open space. We have done miserably in developing more affordable housing. Yes, they often are competing interests. But if Westport ends up a place where only the truly wealthy are left to take advantage of open space, we have not served our community well.

Woody Klein says open space in residential areas should be preserved. Of course it should be—where practicable. But my remarks were addressed to those who have told me the town should compete against developers when a homeowner decides to sell so open spaces can be created in neighborhoods where they do not now exist. While that is an admirable goal, I’d rather put my taxpayer dollars into the larger parcels of existing open space – or mostly open space—that would serve more people.

We have had a number of large parcels on our potential acquisition list for many years. These were identified by the Land Acquisition Committee in its comprehensive report issued in June 2000.  Our priority ought to be in acquiring—or at minimum expressing an interest in acquiring—these properties. But equally important is the need to increase our stock of affordable housing. If it can be done on land already owned by the town (Baron’s South, for example) that makes it less expensive, more doable, and more attractive to developers.

In any case, increasing our stock of open space and erecting affordable housing where we can are not mutually exclusive goals. Together they would prevent Westport from becoming “just another overcrowded, polluted exurb.”

o, I haven’t forsaken Gordon’s Journal. The truth is the hours have been long and opportunities to blog in short supply. I will try to do better.

There’s been much on my plate lately. While we fortunately have not had many brush fires in the recent dry spell, I’ve been putting out a few in town government, or trying.

Later today, I ‘ll address the Westport Rotary Club and give them an update. I’ll post some of those observations later here.

t’s hard to imagine but Shelly and I have been in office 100 days. It’s been exciting, at times exhausting, but full of challenges.

At the top of my priority list when I came in to office were four items:

• Emergency preparedness
• Senior tax relief
• Property revaluation
• Technology

We’ve made progress on all of them.

On preparedness, I’ve met weekly with our police, fire, health, and Red Cross officials to make sure Westport is as prepared as it can be for any eventuality – natural or man-made. In addition, I’ve been to two state training sessions.

I’ll make no secret of the fact that of all the possible emergency scenarios that could hit us, I am most concerned about a pandemic flu and the spread of bird flu in Asia, Africa and now parts of Europe. Its consequences should it mutate into humans and spread will be catastrophic.

In April, Westport, Weston and Wilton are participating in an exercise that will simulate a health disaster necessitating the distribution of vaccines or medications to the estimated 50,000 residents of our three towns. It will be a good test of our readiness and, I hope, heighten public awareness of the need for each of us to be prepared for such an emergency.

We are working on a public education program that will tell Westporters how we are preparing and how you should as well. In the meantime, I recommend going to http://www.pandemicflu.gov/

he town launched its newly redesigned Web site today. Check it out at http://www.westportct.gov We hope you will find it interesting and, more importantly, useful. Comments and suggestions are welcome.

his weekend’s storm, unlike the ones in January, did not sneak up on us and Westport was well prepared.

We put all our public works crews on alert as well as private contractors, checked our equipment, readied the sand and salt supplies, and were ready to go when the first flakes started sticking late Saturday night.

Fortunately, it was a fluffy snow, not the heavy kind that takes down trees and power lines. As a result, we did not have one report of a power outage or tree down in Westport during the storm.

Our big concern is that the northeaster coincided with the full moon high tide. The combination had the potential of causing flooding – and it did. The flooding was relatively minor, however.

I accompanied Assistant Fire Chief Larry Conklin and Firefighter Tim Chalfant as they made their rounds Sunday morning, first to Saugatuck Shores and then the Compo Beach area and Green’s Farms.

Shortly after 9 a.m., water had begun to creep over Canal Road. By 10:45 a.m., high tide, there was a good 3 feet of water (or more) over the roadway. By then, Conklin had ordered an engine company and staff car to Saugatuck Island as a standby – a precaution taken any time flooding is expected.

We also saw some minor flooding on Compo Road South near the Minuteman statute as well as on the entry road to Burying Hill Beach. There was also some flooding in the Old Mill area. 

More "The Weekend Storm: Westport Did Well"

busy week gone by and a busy week coming. Last week included a brown bag on emergency preparedness and a review of events during January’s wind storms and power outages.

Chris Swan of CL&P was there to give us his perspective. We also had reports from Fire Chief Chris Ackley and Police Chief Al Fiore. Michelle Deluca of the Red Cross brought along a backpack full of supplies to keep on hand in case of emergency.

Also there was Eileen Woodley who told us of the nightmare she went through when a tree crashed through the roof of her Hockanum Road home. Luckily no one was hurt, but her house and contents suffered considerable damage.

It was a good opportunity to remind all Westporters of the steps they need to take to be prepared for an emergency. The question of opening a Westport shelter came up and I explained that we had little indication of a desire by residents to go to a shelter.

We opened a “warming station” at the Red Cross chapter on Church Lane and no one showed up. Weston opened its middle school as a shelter and also had no takers.

If a storm hits and you do want to go to a shelter, please let us know by calling the non-emergency number at the fire department – 341-5000. Westporters traditionally have been reluctant to go to a public shelter – preferring friends or a hotel first. But we are ready to open one if there is a need.

At the end of the week, I attended a breakfast meeting in Norwalk with other mayors, first selectmen and area legislators to discuss priorities for Connecticut’s legislative session opening this week.

The meeting, arranged by the South Western Regional Planning Agency, touched on a number of subjects – transportation, the economy, taxes, and speeding tickets, among other things.

SWRPA is asking legislators to once again consider adding a surcharge of $10-$25 to tickets issued by local municipalities that would come back to the towns and cities. Most people don’t’ know that all the revenue from speeding tickets and other moving violations all goes to the state.

The reaction from local legislators to the proposal was luke warm. One wanted to know how many tickets all the towns issued (that information is being compiled). Another expressed concern that the towns would start issuing more tickets when budget needs became acute.

Don’t hold your breath on this one.

P.S. I hope to get to Hartford for the opening of the legislative session Tuesday.

pologies for not posting for a while. Last week’s back-to-back storms kept me busy.

With more than 4,000 Westport homes without power at one point, I figured my time was better spent working on storm-related problems rather than writing the blog (which many people could not have seen anyway).

If you did have power, there was information on the town Web site (http://www.westportct.gov,) on WestportNow (http://www.westportnow.com), on the radio (WWPT 90.3 FM), and on the phone (22power or 227-9637).

It was one of those storms where Connecticut Light and Power (CL&P) acknowledges it was caught short on the Saturday night/Sunday morning of the holiday weekend. The utility moved a mobile emergency command center into Westport (at the transfer station on the Sherwood Island Connector) Monday morning.

With the help of our police, fire, and public works crews, CL&P was able to deploy the manpower it did have where it was needed most. The bitter cold of the Sunday/Monday did not help. By Monday night, there were still 1,1,00 Westport homes without power.

By Tuesday afternoon, that number was down to a little more than 200 and down to about a dozen by midnight.

But Wednesday morning brought more high winds and more outages. I canceled several morning meetings and accompanied Fire Chief Chris Ackley on several calls. 

More "The Week That Was"

t’s early Saturday evening and yes, I’m in the office, trying to finish what I didn’t do during the week and trying to get a head start on next week.

Here’s a quick review of some of the things that I was involved in this past week:

--Sally Harold of the Nature Conservancy dropped by to fill me in on efforts being led by her group to protect the aquatic resources within the Saugatuck River Watershed. Westport is among the 11 towns in the watershed.

--I went across the street and toured the town-owned historic 99 Myrtle Ave. property which we will renovate and hopefully make a home for a town employee. Members of the Historic District Commission are working with the Public Works Department on developing a plan. We’ve formed a special committee to oversee the efforts.

--I swore in Town Clerk Patty Strauss for another four-year term. Patty has done a terrific job bringing the town clerk’s office into the modern age using technology to preserve important documents and records and make them easily available to the public.

--My efforts to bring Westport into the digital age took some tiny steps with a meeting with a manufacturer of equipment necessary for the broadband installation. There’s been a terrific response to my call for volunteers to work on a technology task force. Next step is to determine the best way to take advantage of all the available talent.

--Had a good discussion with Barbara Butler, director of the Human Services Department, and Steve Daniels on efforts to develop more senior, affordable, middle-income, and workforce housing in Westport. It’s tough to find suitable space, but the need is great. We want to do all we can to keep seniors and empty-nesters in Westport plus provide homes for municipal workers.

--Took a tour of the Aquarion Water Co. property on Canal Street. The water company moved out of the offices a year ago and they would be ideal for some Board of Education needs, especially for its maintenance workers and vehicles.

On tap for the coming week: a brown bag Wednesday (Jan. 11) at the Westport Center for Senior Activities where we’ll talk about our senior tax relief proposals. The same day there’s a Board of Selectmen meeting and a Board of Finance session. Hope you have a good week.

estport welcomed in the New Year with a spectacular First Night Westport Weston. Congratulations to all involved, especially Rozanne Gates, the executive director.

The late afternoon snowfall only added to the fun. Special thanks to Westport’s Public Works Department workers for clearing the roads efficiently, as always.

Many hours of planning went into the First Night effort and scores of people were involved. Westport is grateful to all of them.  (WestportNow has a sampling of some of the evening’s events.)

But don’t take too long to catch your breath—only 364 days left to plan the next one!

ime flies when you’re having fun. Today marks the one-month mark in office for Shelly and me. On one hand, it seems like we’ve been there for ages. On the other, it’s like we just moved in.

People still are asking me how I like it, how I’m doing, etc. The honest answer is I’m enjoying it immensely. What a thrill it is to be working with the best municipal workforce you could find anywhere – and the best team of citizen volunteers.

Sure it’s been frustrating at times. On some days it seems I go from meeting to meeting with hardly anytime to do anything in between. Other days, there’s a chance to make a call, pay a visit, write a letter or e-mail that I know means a lot to the recipient.

One of the nicest moments I had was some days ago when I went to visit longtime Westporter Alice Vornkahl on the occasion of her 100th birthday. Alice is in a senior care facility in Fairfield now but is alert and sharp as she was during her days working in the food service area at Coleytown Middle School.

She was clearly touched by my visit and had tears in her eyes as I presented her with a bouquet of flowers on behalf of the citizens of Westport. She was deeply appreciative.

Tonight I visited another longtime Westporter and dear friend Edna Yergin, former secretary of the RTM, who is recuperating in Norwalk Hospital. I learned only at lunch today that she had been taken there Tuesday.

More "Busy Days"

had a good meeting today with three members of the hard-working Westport Beautification Committee.

Keeping our town neat and pretty does not happen without a lot of work by members of the committee as well as by employees of the Parks and Recreation and Public Works Department.

Committee Co-Chair Nancy Carr told me that Westport currently has seven “adopt-a-spot” locations with sponsors, down from a high of 47 in recent years.

We need to boost these locations. This is an opportunity for local firms, non-profits, and even individuals to pitch in to help keep Westport looking good.

Nancy says it’s a two-year commitment on the part of the sponsor. There are guidelines for sponsors and investment in the projects range from minimal to elaborate.

If you are interested, please call her at 227-6833.

Committee member Bob Weiss has been vigilant in getting rid of those pesky signs people put up illegally on utility poles, etc., but could use some help, especially from younger people.

Scouts looking for an Eagle project or others with some time available should contact him at 222-7146.

he Westport Police Athletic League (PAL) did it again – drawing a packed crowd today to the Inn at Longshore for its annual holiday children’s party.

More than 250 kids and their parents turned up for the event. Each child received a gift and a chance to chat with Santa.

Afterwards, there was free ice skating at the PAL Ice Rink at Longshore.

Well done, PAL.

he Staples Music Department presented the annual Candlelight Concert Friday and Saturday nights, the 65th, and it was as spectacular as ever.

One can only imagine the challenge to find the fresh material to mix with the traditional each year, but the department obviously is up to the task.

The community is grateful for your effort.

ne of the highlights of the holiday season for those involved in Westport public affairs is the annual holiday lunch of the League of Women Voters of Westport.

Today’s lunch was at the lovely home of Laura Gallagher and there was a big turnout (not to mention the delicious goodies to eat).

It was a good opportunity to corner a number of Westporters and ask them of their interest in serving on various appointed town boards and commissions.

There are a number of opportunities open for interested Westporters – ranging from the Beautification Committee and the Golf Advisory Committee to the Human Services Commission and the Public Site and Building Commission.

For a full list of appointed boards and commissions, go to the town Web site at www.westportct.gov

If you are interested in serving, please send me an e-mail at selectman@westportct.gov and tell me what you would like to do, why you are interested, a little bit about your background, and perhaps mention if you have some special expertise in the area.

Many thanks. Those who have served on these boards and commissions have found the service an especially rewarding way of serving our community.