Ballard Park and the Snow Moon, Westport ~ Photo by Catherine Seidenberg

Wow! What a downright traditional winter it’s been (for those of us over the age of 20)! We’ve had the coldest winter in 17 years, and Lake Champlain froze over completely for the first time since 2019. The old-fashioned ice-over immediately brought out ice fishermen, ice skaters, ice-walkers of all kinds, and the most fun ~ ice boats! For three days in the first two weeks of February an ice boating group converged in Westport for some world-class sailing. The boatmen hailed from all corners: Vermont, Quebec, New York, Connecticut..and are part of a Saratoga-based group. It was exciting and nostalgic to see all this activity on the frozen bay!

Meanwhile, even though all is quiet on the surface, Westport residents and businesses have been busy designing schedules for music, farming, gardening, entertaining, celebrating, healing, art-making, and generally just building our community for the year ahead.

ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE WESTPORT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN!

JOIN THE ALLIANCE FOR THE FIRST COMMUNITY CHAT FEB 17!

Come hang out at the Westport Library on Tuesday, February 17th from 5–6 pm for a casual Community Chat with the WWCA! Hear what the Alliance has been working on, share your feedback and ideas, and get to know a few of our board members. Everyone is welcome. We’d love to see you there!

GET INVOLVED WITH THE NEW ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION COMMITTEE!

Do you love this beautiful environment we live in, and want to help ensure it is clean and pristine for generations to come? If your answer is YES, then the Westport-Wadhams Community Alliance's new Environmental Action Committee wants you to get involved! As goals and projects are developed, community members are encouraged to join this new initiative to enhance the exceptional quality of life we all get to enjoy here in Westport and the Champlain Valley. Come to our first virtual meeting, Wednesday Feb 25th from 4-5pm at this link. See you there!

THE LAKE CHAMPLAIN BOTANICAL GARDEN IS LOOKING FOR A HOME!

A botanical garden in Westport? Yes, please!

Do you know all of Westport’s hills and dales? The Botanical Garden Team is officially searching for the perfect 100-acre site to call home.

They would love to hear from you if you have acreage that might fit the bill—or know of a "hidden gem" in our landscape.  

• Get in touch: contact@LakeChamplainBotanicalGarden.org

• Explore the vision: www.LakeChamplainBotanicalGarden.org

• Read the feature in the SUN Community News!

SHARE YOUR HONORARY BENCH NOMINATIONS BY FEB 28!

Take a moment to think of folks (Westport and Wadhams people and groups only) who make a big difference in our community, and send in your vote HERE. Thank you! You can also fill out a card and drop it in the box provided at K&D Grocery and Deli, the Westport Town Hall, and the Wadhams Library.

Here’s Why: Think of a hashtag as a signpost on a busy road.

When you add a hashtag (like #WestportNY, #ShopLocal, or #AdirondackEats) to a post, you’re telling social media platforms what your post is about. People can click that hashtag or search it, and suddenly your business shows up alongside other posts on the same topic—even if they don’t follow you yet.

Here’s why it works:

• Hashtags make your post searchable.
  Without a hashtag, your post mostly reaches people who already follow you. With one, it can be seen by anyone looking for that topic.

• They help new customers find you.
  Visitors, seasonal residents, and folks planning trips often search hashtags tied to a town or activity. That’s how they discover places they’ve never heard of before.

• They group you with related businesses.
  Using common local or industry hashtags puts your post in the same “bucket” as similar businesses—so people browsing one find the others too.

• They tell the algorithm who to show your post to.
  Social platforms use hashtags as clues. The clearer the clue, the more likely your post is shown to people interested in what you offer.

Bottom line:
A hashtag turns a post from a message to your regulars into a mini billboard for anyone searching. You don’t need dozens—just a few clear, relevant ones that match your business, your location, and what you’re offering.

AND, even more visibility is accomplished through your Google profile. To learn how to enhance your online presence, take advantage of ROOST’s Google Business Optimization Resources!

Image courtesy of Snowfort Books

There’s so much to keep your heart and mind happy at Snowfort..when you’re ready to come in from shoveling, skiing, skating and sledding..

• Feb 18, 6-7:30pm: Silent Book Club

• Feb 25, 7pm: Speakeasy Storytelling open mic

• March 1, 4pm: Fiction Book Club: ‘The Land in Winter’ , by Andrew Miller

• March 15, 2pm: Steven Engelhart Sunday Salon

GET READY FOR THE BOOK AND SEED SWAP AT THE LIBRARY, MARCH 21!

Dust off your bookshelf and jump into spring! Bring some cookbooks or gardening books to swap, and get some fresh ideas..and swap those seeds you have been collecting from your favorite plants. Bring seeds in clearly labeled, sealed envelopes. Come find treasures even if you don’t have anything to swap!

DON’T MISS A THING AT THE WESTPORT LIBRARY!

WEEKLY

Mondays, 7pm: Film Festival! Get cozy in a library sofa and take in a flick with friends and neighbors! Suggested $5 donation, $10 for families

Tuesdays 1-3pm: Craft Group meeting

Thursdays 4-6pm: Writer’s Group meeting

SPECIAL EVENTS

Tuesday, Feb 17th, 5-6pm: Join us for the first Community Chat with the Westport-Wadhams Community Alliance! This will be a casual time to chat, meet board members, find out what the Alliance is up to, and give your feedback and ideas.

Saturday Feb 28, 2:30pm : Fireside Chat with Steph Larsen! This is a series of conversations by the fireplace with local residents who have had a marked influence on our community.

Sunday, March 8, 3pm: the Westport Library and the Depot Theatre present a play reading by the Adirondack Stage Rats of ‘Rounding Third’.

Tuesdays, March 3, April 7, May 5. 7pm: “From Page to Stage”, a Seagle Festival Community Program. Each session will feature a lively 60-75 minute discussion of one of Seagle’s four productions from its upcoming summer season, which will use compelling storytelling, musical excerpts, and a brief history of each work to delve into the literary and historical inspirations behind each production, from works like “Dead Man Walking” to Meredith Wilson’s “The Music Man”.

Tuesdays starting Feb 27, 4-6pm: Parenting workshops! Learn some useful strategies for lovingly living with adolescents. Call 518-585-7424 to register.

FIND YOUR INNER YOGI 4 DAYS A WEEK AT THE MILL!

COMEDIAN ALEX KUMIN PERFORMING 2 SHOWS AT THE MILL MARCH 20,21

Image courtesy of the Mill

Just a friendly reminder to submit your events to our town calendar at https://www.gowestportny.com/calendar/#calendar-submit. And if you have trouble using the calendar, please submit to gowestportny@gmail.com. If you wish to have your happenings included in this newsletter, please submit your news with details: place, time, event name, cost, and a jpeg or png graphic to gowestportny@gmail.com by the 10th of each month. Thank you!!

HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR!

-the WWCA Team

We are YOUR Alliance! Follow our Website, Facebook Page and Instagram. Follow all the happenings on the Calendar. 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