#Westport CT–On 08/17/18 at approximately 10:00 am, an officer initiated a motor vehicle stop on the Sherwood Island Connector. The operator of the vehicle was identified as Elvis Paches, 33, of Bridgeport, CT. During the stop, officers learned Paches had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. Paches was taken into custody and transported to headquarters where he was charged with 53a-173 Failure to Appear 2 nd and released after posting $500 court set bond. He is scheduled to appear in Bridgeport Court on 08/31/18.
#Westport CT– How about some like to home our Deputy Chief along with (18) Connecticut firefighters. Returning last evening, Deputy Chief Kronick and members of the CT Wildfire Crew traveled out to Colorado at the end of July to help battle the blazing wildfires that have been crippling the region.
The CT Interstate Fire Crew was deployed on the Buttermilk and Green Mountain Fires where thousands of acres were charred by the burning blazes.
The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection maintains a roster of staff and personnel from local fire departments who are certified to fight wildfires, which in turn allows Connecticut to participate in a reciprocal aid program operated by the U.S. Forest Service.
Westport Deputy Chief Kronick has been a member of the Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew since 2002 and has been on (11) national and international wildfire deployments throughout North America. The Westport Fire Department and the Town of Westport would like thank him and the entire crew for their selfless service and welcome them home!
Westport, CT – The Department of Public Works has scheduled the annual Roadway Crack Seal Program to commence on Monday, August 13. The work will occur daily for one week and perform maintenance on approximately 6 miles of various roadways throughout Town. Traffic will not be detoured, but alternating one way traffic flow will be used to route traffic around this continually moving work zone. The roadways will be open for two way traffic as the work crew progresses. Please follow the directions of the traffic control personnel and travel at a reduced speed through the work zone. Thank you in advance for your patience.
(Westport, CT) -The Connecticut Department of Transportation intends to perform construction to repair the deficiencies of the Bridge Street William Cribari Bridge from Monday, August 6th through Friday, September 14th. The closure of the bridge and detour will commence Monday through Thursday evenings from 8:00pm until 5:00 AM and will be closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Marine traffic requiring bridge openings may be limited during the work periods. No lane closures will occur from 6:00am Friday, August 31 st until 8:00pm Tuesday, September 4 th .
Appropriate detours around the bridge work will be posted using portable detour signs. The detour will direct motorists from the west side of the bridge north onto Riverside Avenue, east onto the Post Road/ Route 1, and then south onto Compo Road South/ Route 136 to the intersection of Bridge Street and Greens Farms Road. The detour will direct motorists from the east side of the bridge east on Bridge Street, north onto Compo Road South/Route 136, west on the Post Road/Route 1 and then making a left onto Riverside Avenue/Route 33 to travel south. Another alternative route from the east side of the William Cribari Bridge would be to take the Sherwood Island Connector onto Interstate 95 South to exit 17 before traveling south on Saugatuck Avenue, east on Park Street, followed by a left onto Charles Street to the intersection with Riverside Avenue. From the west side of the bridge, motorists could alternately travel south on Riverside Avenue, west on Charles Street, cross Saugatuck Avenue to enter Interstate I- 95 northbound, exiting via exit 18 onto the Sherwood Island Connector, then travel westbound on Greens Farms Road to Bridge Street. Modifications or extensions to the construction schedule may become necessary due to weather delays or other unforeseen conditions. Residents, commuters, and mariners are encouraged to plan accordingly and/or seek alternate routes if necessary and maintain a safe speed while traveling through this area.
#Westport, Conn. – Director of Human Services Elaine Daignault announced today that the Town of Westport’s annual Back to School Program is currently seeking donations of new backpacks, gift cards (Staples Office Supply, Walmart, and/or Target) and/or cash donations to benefit income-eligible Westport families.
Ms. Daignault stated, “There is a growing number of Westport families facing the burden of financial hardships in town and back to school time can be particularly stressful on a family budget. Thanks to the generosity of our community, the Department of Human Services is able to provide discreet assistance to income-eligible families who want to give their children the best possible start to their academic school year. Cash and gift card donations ensure that parents can share in the excitement of back to school shopping with their children and donors can be confident that 100% of their donations directly benefit their Westport neighbors.”
The number of back to school program beneficiaries has grown each year. Last fall community donations allowed DHS to supply the equivalent of 10 classrooms of children with school supplies. That’s over 100 kids who were able to purchase supplies that they otherwise would not have been able to afford. Local donations from community members, coupled with a limited number of Walmart gift cards supplied by the Salvation Army, provide an essential resource to families in need. The Back to School Program depends solely upon the generosity of community individuals and organizations.
Tax-deductible monetary donations made payable to “Families in Need Fund” (memo: Backpacks) may be mailed to the Department of Human Services,110 Myrtle Avenue (Room 200), Westport, CT 06880. Donors may also choose to bring a new backpack and/or gift cards directly to the Human Services Department office in Town Hall, 100 Myrtle Avenue, Room 200, Monday through Friday between 9 am to 4 pm now through August 20.
Westport families who may qualify for this program are encouraged to contact the Department of Human Services at 203-341-1050. If you have any questions regarding this program, please call Margaret Pinheiro at 341-1050 or email emilton@westportct.gov.
#Westport CT– On 07/23/2018 at approximately 9:30am, an officer observed a vehicle with an expired registration traveling southbound on the Sherwood Island Connector. A motor vehicle stop was conducted on Greens Farms Road. The operator claimed the vehicle he was driving belonged to his brother. He also claimed to have lost his license and provided officer’s a fraudulent name. The investigating officer checked the license of the name provided and observed the driver’s license photo did not match the operator of the vehicle, nor did the address. Officers later learned the operator was actually the registered owner of the vehicle, Lou Geneus, who was operating with a suspended driver’s license. Geneus was also unable to provide proof of valid insurance for the vehicle. Geneus was taken into custody and transported to headquarters where he was charged with 53a-167a Interfering with an Officer, 53a-130 Criminal Impersonation, 14-215 Illegal Operation of Motor Vehicle Under Suspension, 14-12(a)* Operate/Tow Unregistered Motor Vehicle and 14-213b Insurance Coverage Fails Minimum Requirements. He was released after posting $500 bond and is scheduled to appear in Norwalk Court on 07/30/2018.
#Westport CT–The CT Challenge Bike Tour will be taking place tomorrow (7/28/18). Motorists should expect to see a large volume of bicyclists between 7:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. on the following roads: Long Lots Road, North Avenue, and North Avenue extension. Motorists traveling through these areas should expect delays and possibly brief road closures.
The police department asks that motorists use extra caution when driving through the affected roads.
#Westport CT – Town officials have been notified by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) that during an inspection by the Bridge Safety Department several weeks ago, structural deficiencies were discovered both in the substructure and ornamental truss structure of the Cribari Bridge (CT Rte. 136 over the Saugatuck River, State Bridge # 0158-01349). ConnDOT has determined that immediate repairs are necessary to maintain the continued safety and stability of the existing bridge structure. ConnDOT intends to commence construction to repair the deficiencies on July 30, 2018, tentatively completing the work within 6 weeks, weather permitting. The contractor will work at night between the hours of 8:00 PM and 5:00 AM, Monday evenings through Friday mornings, closing the bridge, including the sidewalk, to vehicular and pedestrian traffic during that time period. Marine traffic requiring bridge openings may be limited during the work periods. The contractor will post appropriate detours around the bridge work. Residents, commuters, and mariners are encouraged to plan accordingly and/or seek alternate routes if necessary. ConnDOT continues to focus on the longer term future of the Cribari Bridge and is still conducting the Environmental Assessment and Environmental Impact Evaluation (EA/EIE) to determine the impacts of various design alternatives. As previously announced, the ConnDOT Project Advisory Committee associated with that EA/EIE will be meeting tonight in the Town Hall Auditorium at 6:30 pm.
On 07/15/18 at approximately 9:30am, an officer observed a vehicle traveling eastbound on Long Lots Road. The vehicle traveled straight through the intersection with Hyde Lane, without stopping for the stop sign located there. A motor vehicle stop was conducted on Long Lots Road and the operator identified herself as Nell Gibbon of Fairfield, CT. Gibbon was unable to provide a registration for the vehicle or an operator’s license. A check of each revealed the registration was expired and Gibbon’s operator’s license was suspended. Because she had no identification and no documentation with her name on it, Gibbon was taken into custody and transported to headquarters where she was later positively identified as Nell Gibbon. Gibbon was charged with 14-215 Illegal Operation of Motor Vehicle Under Suspension, 14-301 Stop Sign Violation, 14-12(a) Failure to Renew Registration and 14-213b Insurance Coverage Fails Minimum Requirements. She was released on a Promise to Appear and is scheduled to appear in Norwalk Court on 07/27/18.
#Westport CT–On 07/14/18 at approximately 10:15pm, officers were dispatched to a local gas station on a report of a vehicle that had struck the gas pumps. The vehicle was observed losing control after entering the lot and striking a trash can and gas pump. One of the pumps sustained minor damage, which was found not to be hazardous by the Westport Fire Department. The operator was identified as Heather Bower of Wilton, CT. In speaking with Bower, officers detected a strong odor of alcoholic beverage on her breath. Bower was asked to perform Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, which she failed. She was taken into custody and transported to headquarters where a breath test found her to be above the legal limit. Bower was charged with 14-227a Operating Under the Influence of Drugs/Alcohol. She was released after posting $500 cash bond and is scheduled to appear in Norwalk Court on 07/24/18.
