Youth Poetry Contest by the Westport Garden Club, Arts Advisory Committee, Town Poet Laureate

Release

The Westport Garden Club is partnering with the Westport Arts Advisory Committee / Town Poet Laureate Jessica Noyes McEntee and The Westport Library to sponsor a Youth Poetry Contest for students.

 
The contest is affiliated with the National Garden Club’s Youth Poetry Contest and is open to students in kindergarten through ninth grade including public and private schools, home-schooled students, Special Education, English as a Second Language, and General Education students.

This competition enables youth to embrace their creativity through the art of writing.   

The theme for the 2023 competition is:
“Seeds, Trees, and Bees…Oh My – Celebrating the Diversity of Nature” 
 
Guidelines for Entries are available here: https://westportlibrary.org/event/youth-poetry-contest/2023-01-01/

All entries must be typed and titled
Include the participant's name, address, age, grade, and school on the back of the entry and the preferred email address for correspondence
All entries become the property of National Garden Clubs, Inc.
Poems do not have to rhyme.
Poems may be traditional verse, acrostics, blank verse, cinquains, diamond poems, limericks, or Haiku.
The theme should not be used as the title of any poetry. (When judging, the title is worth 10 points.)
Poems should be submitted by email to: westportctgardenclub@gmail.com by JANUARY 6, 2023

Scale of Points
Title: 10%
Content: 40%
Creativity: 30%
Style: 20%
Total: 100%
 

Entries are due by January 6.  The poems selected by a jury committee will then be submitted to the regional organization, New England Garden Clubs for another round of judging.  The region's final selections will then be submitted for National Garden Club Awards where winning entries will be compiled into a booklet and made available to the winners.  Locally- poets will be invited to read from their work at a library event, open to the public to celebrate poetry in April, 2023.

To view the 2022 winning entries, please visit: https://www.gardenclub.org/poetry-contest

 
Affiliated with the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut, Inc., and National Garden Clubs, Inc., The Westport Garden Club of Westport, CT was founded in 1924 and consists of members who are united by an interest in gardening, a desire to further their gardening knowledge, participate in civic beautification and to promote conservation and environmental education.

For more information, visit: https://westportgardenclub.org  and follow the Westport Garden Club on Facebook: Westport Garden Club and Instagram: westportctgardenclub.

Morning Weather Report

Today

Sunny, with a high near 51. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with a low around 28. North wind around 6 mph.

Tomorrow

Mostly sunny, with a high near 46. Wind chill values between 20 and 30 early. North wind around 7 mph.

Tomorrow Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 28. North wind around 6 mph.

Westport Police Nab One after Friday Night Home Burglary; Released on $25K Bond

WestportLocal.com archive photo

Westport Police Department

On December 2nd, 2022 at approximately 7:25 pm, Westport Police responded to a residential burglary in progress.  The homeowner called Westport Police and advised they were able to view an in-progress burglary at their residence via surveillance cameras and watched the suspects run out the back door.  Responding officers set up a perimeter to secure the neighborhood, attempt to locate the fleeing suspects and check the victim residence for additional suspects.  An officer on perimeter located a vehicle traveling slowly away from the area of the residence without any headlamps illuminated.  A motor vehicle stop was initiated, and the operator was identified as Jaime Mogollon-Ayala of Flushing, NY.  Mr. Mogollon-Ayala had no valid reason for being in the neighborhood and evidence in plain view of the officers within the vehicle indicated that he was allegedly involved in the burglary.  Mr. Mogollon-Ayala had clothing and physical characteristics matching those captured on the surveillance footage from the house. Mr. Mogollon-Ayala was arrested and charged with the above listed charges.  He was processed at Westport Police Department and released on a $25,000.00 bond with a court date of December 12th, 2022 at Stamford Superior Court.  

This case remains open as the Westport Police Detective Bureau continues their investigation.

Donations Needed for Westport Warm-up Fund

Press Release

The Westport Warm-Up fund, a community-supported initiative managed by the Town of Westport's Department of Human Services, helps income-qualified households with home heating expenses through the cold winter months. 

Human Services Director Elaine Daignault says, “The rising costs of food, housing, and fuel will make this season the most financially burdensome winter in history. Those with limited financial means will require more help to heat their homes this year. Unfortunately, we have already experienced increased financial assistance requests for home heating expenses this season. Electricity, oil, and gas costs have doubled, requiring supplemental assistance to meet household necessities.”

The Warm-Up Fund relies on the generosity of individuals, businesses, and community service organizations for support. 100% of all donations help income-eligible residents warm their homes during winter. 

Human Services anticipates a greater reliance on the Warm-up fund to provide critical emergency heating assistance throughout the winter months.

Daignault continued, “The community's generosity will make a significant difference in keeping seniors and families warm in this unprecedented time of need.” 

Tax-deductible donations can be made to the Westport Warm-Up Fund and other Human Services Programs at www.westportct.gov/donate or by mail to Westport Warm-Up Fund, Department of Human Services, Westport Town Hall, 110 Myrtle Ave., Westport CT 06880   

The Department of Human Services works with residents of all ages to provide resources, programs, and services, including income-based financial assistance, short-term counseling, and personal enrichment opportunities. For more information or to request assistance, please go to https://www.westportct.gov or contact 203-341-1050 or via email at humansrv@westportct.gov.