How busy has the Department of Public Works been this summer?

One very visible project: the new sidewalk and re-paved 0.6 miles of Hillspoint Road, from Greens Farms Road South to Old Mill. It’s getting raves for both its quality of construction, and the safety it provides.

The summer paving program resulted in upgrades and safety enhancements on 4 miles of roadways and Town properties, 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker reports.

This includes Imperial Avenue and the Staples High School and Bedford Middle School parking lots and sidewalks.

Construction and improvements continue on and around Cross Highway. It includes:

• Began reconstruction of the sidewalk from Compo Road North to Roseville (0.48 miles).
• Made sightline and safety improvements at the North Avenue intersection.
• Installed illuminated stop signage at the Bayberry Lane intersection.

The DPW managed and oversaw:

• Completing sewer extensions projects at the Evergreen Avenue/ Tamarac Road and Whitney Street neighborhoods.
• Sweeping 125 miles of roadway, 25 miles of sidewalk, and all municipal parking lots.
• Installing and upgrading equipment for various pump stations, including installation of new generators, lining 3,500 linear feet of sewer pipe, and installing new elevators.
• Installing a new cardboard compactor, and rehabilitating and reconstructing main waste compactor #1 at the town transfer station.

Tooker says: “Many thanks are due to our hard-working highway crews and public works employees who kept these projects on track, and on budget. And thank you to everyone who remained patient while the construction work was occurring. The upgrades to Westport’s infrastructure are worth it.”

Part of the sidewalk project, at Old Mill Grocery & Deli.

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Yesterday morning, the last of 5 kittens — trapped in a storm drain with their mother, underneath a grate on Post Road East — was rescued.

All 6 felines are now in foster care, with a Westport Animal Shelter Advocates volunteer.

They’ll be named soon (based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, courtesy of the foster family’s 5-year-old daughter).

They will soon be vetted, and available for adoption through Wilton-based Animals in Distress.

Additional information and photos will be posted on WASA’s Facebook,

WASA thanks Katherine Reid of Animals in Distress, the Westport Fire Department (particularly Engine Company No. 5 and Jennifer Petrosinelli), Bryan Thomas and Ralph Ramos of Westport’s Public Works Department, Schulhof Animal Hospital, the kind staff of Mattress Firm (adjacent to the storm drain; they allowed WASA to use their business to transfer the kittens and wash volunteers’ sardine-scented hands as a result of trap baiting), and special WASA helpers Sandy Young and Jess  Zullo, who spent countless hours setting and monitoring the trapping operation, despite family and work demands.

Rescued!

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Congratulations to the Staples High School boys golf team.

On Thursday at Longshore, they beat the team record — by 3 strokes.

And Philip Sullivan set a new school individual 9-hole match record. The junior shot a scintillating 30.

The top 4 scorers count for the team score. Besides Sullivan’s, they were George Targowski (34), Guy Palmer (36) and Tommy Riley (36). Chris Taylor came in 5th, with a 38 — but that still would have been good enough to secure Staples’ record.

The future for coach Pete Caligiure’s Wreckers is bright. All 5 golfers are juniors.

Philip Sullivan

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The American Parkinson Disease Association Connecticut Chapter’s 10th annual Optimism Walk is in Westport next month.

And a Westport volunteer will be honored there.

The event is set for Sherwood Island State Park on September 21 (10 a.m.). When it’s done, Holly Betts — assistant director of the Westport Senior Center — will receive the Tiedemann Award, for her support of the APDA.

Gladys Tiedemann volunteered for APDA CT for more than 30 years.

Holly schedules weekly Parkinson’s exercise classes, support groups for those diagnosed with the disease and their care partners, as well as wellness programs for the Senior Center and greater community.

For the past several years, Holly has led a fundraising team of Senior Center members called “Stand by Me,” at the annual Westport Optimism Walk. Click here to support her team.

The APDA Westport Optimism Walk is a family-friendly event. It includes a short walk of up to 1.5 miles, as well as educational opportunities, raffles, sponsor activities, music, kid’s crafts, fall risk assessments, Tai Chi, and camaraderie.

Holly Betts

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Big Y moved one step closer to opening this week.

Their shopping carts have arrived, at the Post Road East store.

(Photo/Dave Shea)

Enjoy the photo.

No matter how different the new supermarket may be from Stop & Shop, Trader Joe’s, Stew Leonard’s and any other store, the end result will be the same.

These carts will soon end up all over the lot.

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Here is our first X-rated “Westport … Naturally” photo ever:

(Photo/Jay Walshon)

In case you don’t know: It’s 2 moths mating.

Normally, we wouldn’t invade their privacy.

But they did it in public.

Or at least, on Jay Walshon’s back door screen.

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And finally … congratulations again to the record-setting Staples golf team! (Story above)

 (Happy Labor Day weekend! While you’re relaxing, “06880” keeps working to serve you. We love what we do — but we rely on your support. Please click here to help your hyper-local blog. Thanks!)