Wadhams Crabapple ~ Photo by Catherine Seidenberg

The month of May is upon us and the wheels of summer are rolling! Here’s just a few Alliance projects to keep your eyes open for: Just in time for National Walking Month, the Westport Chair Trail is reopening for beautiful strolls through town! The oversized locally built Westport chairs are all painted by artists, transforming the town into a walking museum. The Westport History Trail is also getting a reboot, and new decals will be coming soon: scan the bar code on each one and learn some local history! The slow food planter will emerge from hibernation soon and grace the corner across from JAMBS with flourishing edible plants.

To kick off our new Eco-Week from May 9-16, we will have a table at the Twin Valleys Outdoor Education Center from 2-7pm for the Champlain Area Trails Grand Hike, where you can chat with Alliance representatives and learn more about what we do! See below for schedule details. Don’t forget to attend the Memorial Day Service in Ballard Park on Monday, May 25, and continue your business preparations for America’s 250th bash on July 4th!

Want to be involved? Join our board meeting on the first Wednesday of each month (coming up on May 6th!) at 7pm at this link. Donate to the Alliance, and/or volunteer for an activity of your choice! We’d love to hear your ideas!

RECORD NUMBERS PITCHED IN FOR SPRING CLEANUP! WESTPORT SHINES!

Earth Day was duly honored in town this year, as was the joyful welcoming of spring, as folks young, old and in between came out in force to clean up our roads and land! A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who participated in this initiative by the Environmental Action Committee, led by Chris Maron and Town Councilman Michael Fergot!

Conservative estimates put the amount of trash picked up at around 2000lbs, not including trash people picked up on their own! The trailer behind the town hall was continuously filled and emptied over the course of the month, and in all was estimated to be 1/3 redeemable cans, 1/3 recyclable glass, aluminum and plastic, and 1/3 trash. Next year will see an initiative to sort. Among the items gleaned were: discarded tires, a damaged plastic kayak, scrap metal, pieces of discarded guardrails and fence posts, and…you name it!

If you are inspired to continue making Westport beautiful, the section of road on Lakeshore north of Angier Hill Road, and rte 22 from Westport to Wadhams needs some attention. Again, THANK YOU EVERYONE who participated! Your effort makes life better for all of us. 😊

FLOWERS PLUS! VOLUNTEER DAY MADE THE GARDENS GLOW! AND MORE NEWS!

Tena Perelli with Will deHaven, the new lead Gardener for Flowers Plus! ~ Photo by Pat Troyan

The Volunteer garden clean up day on April 26th was a huge success and really made our community flower beds bright! THANK YOU to everyone who showed up in great spirits and helped spruce up.

There will be another pop-up volunteer day this coming FRIDAY MAY 8TH at 10am at the Westport Triangle, to finish with the mulching and fertilizing. Come join us, and email flowerspluswestportny@gmail.com with any questions.

Will DeHaven is the new lead gardener for Flowers Plus this year!  Will has done a lot of urban gardening and landscaping, is also working at Essex Farm , and is taking over the former Tangleroot Farm! We’re lucky to have him help keep our Westport and Wadhams flower beds looking their best this year. If you see him out tending the gardens, stop by and say hello!

The Alliance has allocated $6000 from the AARP/Toyota North America grant to plant many more Lilacs along Main Street! Lilac Festival here we come!

COME OUTSIDE FOR WESTPORT’S NEW ECO-WEEK , MAY 9-16!

Stevenson Road, Photo by Catherine Seidenberg

We’re so excited for all the activities of Eco-Week, which is coming right up this Saturday May 9! We’re in the news! Read all about it HERE. We’ll be kicking things off with a table at the Twin Valleys Outdoor Education Center from 2pm-7pm at the finish of the Champlain Area Trails Grand Hike. Enjoy the festivities after a fun and companionable hike with friends and neighbors, and come chat with us!

~ Sunday May 10th: Mother’s Day! Drop by Vagabond Blooms and pick up some gorgeous flowers for your mom! (you might need some for yourself,too).

~Monday May 11: “Green Golf”. Enjoy $10 off the original walking price at the Westport Golf Course. Just want to walk and not play? It’s free for the day. All are welcome! Thank you, Robin Severance!

~Tuesday May 12: Stay tuned!

~Wednesday May 13, 8:30am - 9:30 am: Walk or run around the fairgrounds track with Jen Williams and clean up as you go!

~Thursday May 14, 1pm-4pm: Clean up the roadside and riverside with Austin Martin and Essex County Soil and Water at the Beaverbend Preserve Trail.

~Friday, May 15, 1pm-2pm: Vineyard walk at Rolling Hills Estate Winery. Join Rolling Hills Estate Winery for a relaxed walk through their Old Schoolhouse Vineyard, guided by Kyle Mizuno, Director of Winemaking. Together, you'll spend an hour among the vines, sharing a closer look at the varietals grown and the character of the land that shapes them. It's a chance to ask questions, learn what's taking root here, and better understand what's being created in this special region and emerging AVA. --Please wear comfortable shoes for this experience.

~Saturday, May 16, 10am-12pm: Hike the Viall’s Crossing Trail with Chris Maron! Meet at the parking area and trailhead on Rte 22.

A BOON FOR BUSINESS:ROOST BUILDS NEW ADK ONLINE MARKETPLACE!

Westport and Wadhams businesses that produce and sell goods are invited to join Adirondack, USA Market, an online marketplace currently in development by the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST). The platform helps local businesses expand year-round economic opportunities and create new revenue without adding operational complexity or overhead. The Adirondack Market will connect shoppers directly with products from retailers across the region, expanding reach and supporting local commerce.

Featuring retail shops, local artisans, and specialty goods, the marketplace will offer customers a convenient way to purchase regional items. To learn more, join the Westport-Wadhams Monthly Board Meeting on Wednesday May 6, 7pm HERE ,or contact shop@roostadk.com.

LAST CALL FOR THE SPIRIT OF PLACE OPEN STUDIO TOUR!

Piece by Susan Granfors of Westport

There’s still time to participate! Apply HERE by May 5!

DON’T MISS THE ADK’S FIRST WOMEN’S HEALTH SUMMIT: MENO-CURIOUS, MAY 16!

We are an in-kind sponsor of the first ever Women’s Health Summit, Meno-curious, at Camp Dudley on Saturday, May 16! Find out all about it in the Adirondack Explorer, and sign up for a day of joy, camaraderie and education!

NEW COLLECTIVE FORMING TO SPRUCE UP PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND SPACES!

The first site on the docket for a little love is the old schoolhouse on Dudley Road..where everyone likes to sit on the cozy west-facing bench and watch the spectacular sunsets. If you’d like to be involved with nurturing our public places, please email us at info@gowestportny.com. Thank you!

Wishing everyone a warm, joyful May!

~the WWCA team

We are YOUR Alliance! Follow our Website, Facebook Page and Instagram. Follow all the happenings on the Calendar, and In and Around Westport Facebook Group. Have a friend or neighbor who would like to know what’s going on in town? Don’t forget to subscribe and forward this email!

-Newsletter Editor: Catherine Seidenberg