Letters to the editor

Repeal plastic bag ban

Your front-page story headlined "Plastic Bag Ban: A Year Later" (Westport News, April 21) does not explain why no other town in Connecticut nor the state legislature have followed Westport's lead in banning plastic bags during the past 12 months. In fact, the four Westport RTM members who were instrumental in getting the Westport ban enacted have now gone on record as supporting a bill in the legislature introduced by state Rep. Kim Fawcett, who represents part of Westport, calling for a 5-cent fee on each plastic bag instead of an outright ban. It seems to me that this is an admission on their part that some degree of plastic bag use can be tolerated by the environment and that an outright ban is overkill.

In view of the above, the position of the supporters of the Westport ban is now untenable. How can they support a bill which allows everyone else in the state to use plastic bags for a 5-cent-a-bag fee while prohibiting Westport retailers from using them at all? They're off the hook for now because the bill died in committee, but this episode indicates that a statewide ban is politically impossible. It also seems unlikely that any other Connecticut towns will ban plastic bags; the Fairfield RTM tabled such a proposal at its September 2009 meeting. I'm not aware that the legislative bodies of any other towns in the state have even considered a plastic-ban measure.

In my opinion the only rational thing for the promoters of the Westport ban to do is to ask the Westport RTM to repeal it and relieve other Westporters of the nuisance of using paper bags or carrying reusable bags with them when they go shopping. Anyone who wants to use reusable bags is more than welcome to do so, but please don't continue to force your wishes on the rest of us.

Bill Murray

Westport

Are you good

or just nice?

Columnist Woody Klein has joined the chorus of misguided souls who say they will no longer admire Tiger Woods because, as Klein puts it, he "has worked his way down to the level of the rest of us in the human race." That level, in Woody's argument, is a level on which one uses naughty language out loud. One presumes that we might overhear, "Woody, you suck," if he perpetrated a lousy golf shot. But even if he wouldn't talk that way, most of us would, in my opinion. I do, although I first ask any ladies present if I may "use French."

Klein reports that sportscaster Jim Nantz said, "I can't say anything I want when I'm on a live broadcast." That gets right to the point that Klein carefully isn't making. A few people get well-known by doing their jobs well. Nantz gets paid for his conversation, obliging him to keep it both interesting and clean. His golf could be awful, but who cares? Tiger gets paid for pushing a little ball around a big lawn, and his choice of words does not much interest me. "How about the father and son who are standing right there by the tee?" cries Klein. Silly question. The same father says the same things at home, not every day, but definitely when a hammer hits his thumb.

We do so many things so badly that we desperately need the work of those few who do their jobs well. We need Tiger, whatever words or women he chooses. We needed all those congressmen and senators who have recently been blown out of office by a prissy public, for expressing sexual desire to people they thought might reciprocate it. Every one of you now reading this did the same, nervously, while hooking up with your spouse or significant other; yet you too are valuable. We also needed Bill Clinton to do what he couldn't do while righteous Republicans were crippling his presidency for deeds they would all be glad to do themselves.

Do a damn good job from 9 to 5, and just be human from 5 to 12. If you learned only that at school, you learned enough.

David Royce

Westport

Fix Saugatuck Ave. before someone gets hurt

I am a Westport resident and a ride leader with the Sound Cyclists Bicycle Club. I noticed tonight on a club weekly ride the repairs going on Saugatuck Avenue south of the Westport train station overpass.

This situation is road rage waiting to happen. The "patch" (which looks like a gopher's tunnel) is so big, bumpy, and uneven that it's completely unrideable by bicyclists. You can't ride to the right of the patch since there is either no shoulder, or the shoulder is full of gravel and debris. Thus bicyclists are forced to ride the center of the lane for about 3/4 mile. There is no other alternative. The lineup of cars behind our group of cyclists was considerable. It's just a matter of time before something bad happens here. I have been told this patch is expected to remain in place for the entire spring, summer and fall.

I urge town officials to provide a patched area on which cyclists can safely ride and I also ask that motorists not become enraged by cyclists "hogging" the road. We have no choice here.

Edward Paul

Westport

Loved `She Loves Me'

If there's anybody out there who would like to take a break from their normal evening-at-home routine, they should call the Westport Country Playhouse to order tickets for the musical She Loves Me. This production is superb -- performers, sets, costumes all top-notch -- and the show itself is delightful from the very first moment the curtain rises. Just plain fun theatre. Highly recommended. Don't miss it!

Jacqueline Masumian

Westport

Thanks

We want to thank everyone in our extended community for contributing to the wonderful success of our recent Birdhouse Auction, which was held on a beautiful almost-spring evening in March at the Rolling Hills County Club in Wilton. The 175 originally designed birdhouses that were on display found admiring new homes, raising nearly $147,000 in support of agency programs and services.

We deeply appreciate the talented artists from all over the country who contributed their inspiring designs. And to all of our dedicated committee chairs and volunteers, who worked tirelessly and generously for nearly a year to make it all happen, we also want to express our gratitude and our appreciation. Special thanks go to auction chairmen Theresa Roth, Jeanette Tewey and Bridget Nelis, who served so capably and enthusiastically throughout the planning and execution of the event.

Numerous local businesses, organizations, and individuals also contributed to the auction's success: Brooks Brothers and Brooks Brothers Women, TD Bank, and Tiffany & Co., hosts of elegant Birdhouse Stroll receptions; The Pantry of Fairfield and Tito's Handmade Vodka, providers of our delectable desserts and beverages; media sponsors Westport Magazine and Westport News; Weathervane Hill Fabrics; artists Miggs Burroughs and Hans Wilhelm; Amy and Tony Riggio for creating and placing our riotously colorful birdies all over town; event photographer Robin Fellows and birdhouse photographer Lorin Klaris; the Staples High School SLOBS; Max's Art Supplies and our many downtown merchants who graciously displayed birdhouses prior to the event. Kudos especially to our record-setting 32 corporate sponsors: Pavarini Northeast Construction Co. and Friends, CPG Architects, Phyllis and David Komansky, Fairfield County Bank, RBS Sempra, Reader's Digest Association, Resnick Investment Advisors, Collective Design Associates, General Electric, Gault, Field & Stream, Main Street Resources, Reproductive Medicine Associates of Connecticut, DeClerq Office Group, Fresh Market, G3 Architects, Knoll, Maidenform, MG Engineering, Nevas, Nevas, Capasse & Girard, People's United Bank, Pepperidge Farm, R.D. Scinto Inc., Simon Pearce, Steelcase, Turner Construction Company, Waldner's Business Environments, Paulina and Shawn Edwards, Mary Foss-Skiftesvik, Shelly and Michael Kassen, Bob and Marcia Leverte, and the Roth Family.

To everyone who came together to make this event happen, and to all those who attended, please know that you are making a difference in the lives of the young women who come through our doors to heal and rebuild their lives.

Susie Basler, Executive Director

Project Return

Thanks to community

Legacy for Hope would like to thank the community for its generosity in 2009. As a Westport-Weston based volunteer board, with costs underwritten by family and friends, we proudly give away every donor dollar we receive. Having raised $376,700, we provide ongoing support to local patients and their families at the Smilow Breast Health Center at Norwalk Hospital and the Norma Pfriem Breast Care Center in Bridgeport as well as to research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Center. Our most recent beneficiaries are The Yale Stem Cell Center and the Yale-New Haven Oncology Nursing Fund. Your financial support has helped save lives and improve quality of life in our community.

Looking ahead, we hope to inspire new volunteers to Legacy for Hope. If you are a survivor who would like to get involved with a local organization, or someone who would like to honor a friend or family member through volunteerism, we welcome you and hope you will consider joining our effort. Please visit LegacyforHope.org or call me at 203-454-3915 for information.

Cecile Newberg

Westport

Open letter to

Dr. Elliott Landon

It is with the greatest of respect that I am sending you this letter. I give you full credit for finding and bringing the brilliant Middle School Principal Dr. Cary Bell to Bedford Middle School (BMS). I am just at a loss as to why you would choose to replace him.

I understand you are under no obligation to give the community a reason for your decision, but I have to tell you that students, parents, teachers and administrators alike are in shock and deeply disappointed. This decision will mean BMS will have four principals in four years, you will have to replace a principal who, according to your own words, is working out quite well at Coley Elementary, and we will lose an amazing educator/principal who has managed to connect with the teachers, administrators and most importantly the student body of BMS.

We all recognize that Middle School culture is unique unto itself and it takes a very special person to navigate and inspire a middle school as successfully as Bell inspired BMS over this last year. I know he has fallen in love with the BMS community just as they have with him and I don't know why you wouldn't see his appointment as a feather in your cap, rather than something you have to put an end to.

I know Bell was inspired enough by his time in Westport and at BMS in particular to plan to come out of retirement, move his family to Westport and continue to inspire and invigorate BMS. What happened? I hope there is some way we can take a breath and reconsider the precious gift you gave to BMS and the Westport Community when you found and hired Bell in the first place and will see your way to allow him to remain principal of BMS and continue the wonderful job he has just begun.

Susan Jacobson

Westport