Letters to the editor, May 12

Response

I felt I had to respond to the editor regarding "There has to be a better way," which was published in the Westport News May 7.

There were some inaccuracies and a lack of awareness, not only about Westport's RTM rules and procedures, but about the differences between Westport and Fairfield's RTMs.

You stated the RTM members had no time limits, which is false. We operate under Robert's Rules and members are limited to 10 minutes per speech and two speeches per item. RTM members rarely bump up against this rule. For example, RTM members speaking on the library issue the other night (contrary to your editorial, it was not a majority of the RTM) spoke for an average of about four minutes, and most of them closer to three minutes.

"Calling the question" is always an option, but one exercised rarely in the RTM. Why? Most members are reluctant to cut off anyone's right to speak. As we are all representatives of the people, denying a member that right denies representation to their constituents -- something we try not to do.

Cutting off the public at a minute and half, as you suggest, would essentially limit public input, something we wish to avoid. I'd rather err on the side of letting the public speak a little longer or be a little repetitive than inhibit their opportunity to voice their concerns.

You mention that Fairfield's RTM has an 11 p.m. cutoff unless two-thirds of the body votes to go on. So do we, but our cutoff for new agenda items is 11:30 p.m. Last week, the first and only agenda item was the town budget, so we went until there was a natural point to break. Tuesday's item was the Board of Education budget, and that did end earlier. But there was no way of knowing that in advance. Would it have been fair to the public or town agency representatives, requiring them to stay for hours on the chance that we might get through the education side early? I think not.

You mention that Fairfield, a town roughly twice our size, got through their budget in two nights. Westport usually does as well. This year was different. Because of the economic situation, Westport's Board of Finance instituted significant cuts. Did Fairfield have nearly the number of motions for restoration that we did (close to a dozen)? We took about an hour or so to discuss each one, sometimes more -- hard to cram that into two nights.

In addition, unlike Westport, Fairfield's RTM is partisan. Many issues are discussed in caucus, so the results are either known in advance or more likely to be handled quickly. As Westport has a non-partisan RTM (something I hope never gets changed) we can't legally discuss any of these items other than in committee meetings, which provide only a recommendation to the whole body.

In short, this four-day meeting on the budget may be unprecedented -- no one can recall this happening before. It is an aberration, unlikely to be repeated any time soon. No one likes 5+ hour meetings that end after 1 a.m. But my colleagues and I on the RTM would rather meet an extra night or two to assure ourselves that we've given every item before us due consideration and we have served the residents of Westport well. We will not rush when what's at stake affects the pocketbook of every taxpayer. Our constituents expect no less.

Bottom line? We'd rather take a little longer and stay a little later to give everyone a chance to be heard, and to do things right.

Hadley Rose,

Moderator, Westport RTM,

Westport

Thank a teacher

(Editor's note: This was submitted in response to the Westport News' request that the community write in letters of appreciation for teachers who have a difference in their lives.)

My high school geometry teacher, Eugene Vinegrad, was a man with a keen sense of humor and an easy style. In his class, I made sure to sit in the front row because I learned that when a teacher called on me, I blushed.

Sitting in front assured that the entire class would not see my embarrassment.

He "turned me on" to geometry -- a subject I continue to teach today to motivated eighth graders in the middle school where I am math chairman.

Nowadays we have many technical innovations and computer support, but the basic theorems, postulates and proofs which Mr. Vinegrad made clear and interesting to me remain the same. I try to impart to my students the same excitement and awe in the subject as he did.

Years after I left high school, I bumped into him while I nervously awaited my "teaching exam" in New York City. He remembered me, was happy to see that I had been a math major in college, and kindly wished me luck as I took the exam.

(I passed.)

Many years went by; I taught in high school in New York and then moved to Connecticut.

About 10 years ago, I decided to write to him to thank him for being my inspiration (with his unusual name, I thought I'd have a good chance of locating him). To my very pleasant surprise, he not only remembered me, but a warm and honest correspondence ensued until his death several years later.

I still have his letters.

So, yes, thank you Mr. Vinegrad and all the other teachers I've had, observed, learned from, mentored and watched grow throughout the years. And thank you, Frances Moore, for asking us to share these memories with the public.

Arlene Yolles

Westport

Thank you, Westport

Thanks to the efforts of so many, many of you, late in the evening of May 5, Westport's Representative Town Meeting (RTM) voted overwhelmingly to restore $45,000 to the Westport Public Library's Budget. This vote makes it possible for the library to remain open seven days a week all the year round. And you made it happen. You responded to our SOS, our call to Save our Sundays.

We are so grateful for your letters, calls and e-mails telling the members of the RTM how important the library is to you and to your family. We also greatly appreciate the supportive stories, editorials and articles in Westport's print and online media. These voices, words, actions made it clear that, within a context of careful fiscal stewardship, the community wanted to fund Library services, which contribute to the well-being of the town and to each individual.

We especially want to thank the members of the RTM for their thoughtful and searching questions, for listening to all those incredibly moving speakers, and then voting to support Westport's great library. The RTM heard powerful words on Wednesday night. The library was lifted up for helping job-seekers in these tough economic times, praised for offering sanctuary in the March storm, called Westport's community center, the anchor of our downtown, the town's stellar free space. The library was lauded for its innovative and fiscally responsible management, superlative staff, as well as its "open and free to all" programs and services.

So once more, we thank you, and we look forward to seeing you at the library every day, including Sundays!

Martha Aasen,

President, Board of Trustees,

Westport Public Library

Don't miss She Loves Me

I just finished seeing She Loves Me at our charming Westport Country Playhouse. By chance the readers don't go further than this sentence, let me shout from the top of Da Pietro's to all of you: Don't miss this musical!

As they playhouse celebrates it's 80th anniversary, they have kicked off this unbelievable season with a smash hit.

This show is a delightful, romantic, funny, charming and nostalgic musical. From the moment the curtain went up until it went down, I grinned from ear to ear. The set was spectacular! (I can't believe what the set designers can make on our special Westport stage.)

The music is uplifting and the lyrics are witty and at times down right hysterical. The costumes make you remember a more stylish time in our history and the wonderful etiquette depicted representative of an era gone by it motivated me to bring my children to see it. (I'm even going a matinee so I can get Pietro out of the kitchen for a relaxing and rejuvenating afternoon.)

To prove to all of you, my neighbors, how much I want you to see this show I will even encourage you further, I will give anyone who brings in to Da Pietro's a ticket or ticket stub for any performance of She Loves Me, a free glass of wine or dessert with the purchase of a lunch or dinner entree.

I will see you all at the Playhouse this summer, a season not to miss!

Janine Scotti,

Owner Da Pietro's Restaurant,

Westport

Big Sunday success

On Sunday, May 2, volunteers from the Service League of Boys (the SLOBS) and the National Charity League (NCL) completed several projects at four different Homes with Hope (HwH) program sites. This was an ambitious undertaking and the brainchild of Suzanne Kalb. Kalb had contacted HwH during the winter months for a "wish list." We were instructed to ask for what we needed; projects that a group of volunteers could handle possibly with some professional assistance.

The result, after months of quiet but exhaustive planning on the part of Kalb and her team was Big Sunday, a day-long extravaganza of parents and children working side-by-side on a variety of indoor and outdoor projects at the Bacharach Community, the Gillespie Center, Linxweiler House and Saugatuck Apartments, all programs of HwH.

Six bedrooms in our family shelter were given a fresh coat of paint and the grounds were planted, pruned and mulched. At Linxweiler, more landscaping was completed with the installation of both annual and perennial plants. Saugatuck Apartments got a similar treatment with an amazing array of new plantings, new gardens and even planting a tree that had very special significance to our tenants. This group was able to plant a decorative cherry tree, in memory of one of our long-time tenants who recently passed away.

At the Gillespie Center, three major renovation projects were undertaken. One group painted the staff offices, which were sorely in need of a facelift. Another group took on the renovation of the courtyard area by installing new railroad ties, beautiful annuals and perennials, mulch, loads of topsoil was spread and planted with grass to spruce up an area that was very much in need. Lastly, professional assistance was called in to create a real storage area for HwH's Food Pantry. This was the most ambitious project of all, involving the donated services of a local contractor.

It was a hot day, but luckily the rain held off. The HwH Board of Directors, the staff and our many residents are so incredibly grateful for the amazing outpouring of help and for the tenacity it took to pull the teams together, gather donated nursery stock and do the work. Many, many thanks to the SLOBS and the NCL!

Audrey Sparre, VP/COO,

Homes with Hope,

Westport