Merriam Forge Road - Photo by Catherine Seidenberg

It’s October! The shorter days are giving way to cold, clear nights filled with stars and Northern Lights. It’s time to bundle up in a sweater and join friends around a fire after a pristine day of hiking! We are truly blessed with an abundance of CATS trails to enjoy during leaf-peeping season: trails off the beaten track where one can easily find quiet and solitude. The action, as well, never slows, only shifts: the Whallonsburgh Grange has begun its winter season of movies, lyceums and art shows, the Wadhams Free Library Wednesday Lecture Series is in full swing, Snowfort Books is a welcome refuge with Silent Book Club once a month, visiting musicians, authors, ping pong night and a brand new letterpress! (wow!). The Westport Library continues Free Monday Night Movies, lectures and writer’s groups, and the Mill is branching out into top-notch comedy with Sam Tallent performing on October 23, and a Mill-O-Ween Trick-or-treat night with a whole crowd of ghoulish musicians!

This month brings another new business opening: Vagabond Blooms! The ribbon cutting was on Saturday October 4th, and we are so excited to welcome Jasmine and all of her crazy color and creativity! Take a stroll through town and look at the brand new mural on the north wall of the Hamilton Hall by Gwen Jamison Vogel! The Alliance performed a ribbon cutting on Friday October 3d along with a happy, cheering crowd of children on their “walking and rolling” way to school. Read on for more autumnal season happenings.

WANT TO BE PART OF THE ACTION? JOIN US AS A NEW BOARD MEMBER!

Do you love being a part of a supportive team, and creating positive changes in the community? The Alliance has three board seats open starting in January 2026, and we’d love to have you join us! Commitments are scaleable to your work-life balance, and the positive outcomes and community connections are so rewarding! If you are interested and/or want to learn more, please email gowestportny@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

GET READY FOR SPOOKY FUN ON OCTOBER 31!

Get in the Spooky spirit this Halloween! Join us for town-wide trick-or-treating from 4-7pm. Costumes, candy, and plenty of fun for all ages. Don't miss the sweetest night of the year! The Mill will also be hosting a very special Mill-O-Ween event with an entire flock of ghoulish musicians! The whole evening is not to be missed!

THE WESTPORT HISTORY TRAIL IS LIVE!

Alyssa Carroll showing the way! Photo by Jen Williams

We’re on a roll! The Westport History Trail is Live! Kudos to the 60+ folks who checked out the map and stories already! Thanks to Town Historian Phil Mero and the Alliance’s Safe Roads-Walkable Westport Task Force for making it happen. Decals were funded by a grant from AARP with funding from Toyota North America. Westport’s trail is part of the Lake Champlain Revolutionary Quest. Looking for a fun and educational activity for an October Saturday? Join the Lake Champlain Region History Bus Tour, which will be making a stop right here in Westport. Go HERE for more details on the History Trail, and have fun exploring!

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: JASMINE HORN AND VAGABOND BLOOMS!

Jasmine Horn by her storefront ~ Photo by Catherine Seidenberg

When and how did you arrive in Westport?

I moved to Westport in March of 2017, just before the growing season, to farm veggies and cut flowers.

Is Vagabond Blooms your first business?

Vagabond Blooms is my first personally owned business, yes! Aside from landscaping, painting, growing micros, edible flowers and cut flowers for friends and commercial, this seems like a true match for what I want to do.

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE!

WESTPORT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS BACK ON THE DRAWING BOARD!

The town plan of 1977 is being revisited and reinvigorated by an energetic new team. Get involved and read all about it HERE in the SUN Community News.

NEW MURAL MAKES ITS DEBUT AT HAMILTON HALL!

Photos by Catherine Seidenberg

The Westport-Wadhams Community Alliance conducted a ribbon-cutting celebration of Adirondack artist Gwen Vogel's new mural at the Hamilton Hall on Champlain Avenue in Westport on October 3d, to a cheering and raucous crowd of children and adults on their way to school! This removable mural was organized by the Safe Roads-Walkable Westport Task Force. and was made possible thanks to an AARP grant with funding from Toyota North America. Stay tuned for mural # 2 in Wadhams! We’d love to hear of locations or buildings that you think would be ideal! Email your ideas to us at gowestportny@gmail.com.

WESTPORT IS BLOOMING, THANKS TO THE FLOWERS PLUS!TEAM!

From Tena Perelli: Another year of $35, three gallon lilac shrubs made available to Westport and Wadhams residents with the help of a generous nursery and Flowers Plus! After 2 years of this program, 67 lilac shrubs have been planted in your neighbors yards. Wow. Thanks to all who took advantage of this offer and are helping to ‘lilac up’ our towns. Can’t wait until spring ~ check out your neighbor’s yards for these beauties!

BALLARD PARK BUILDS INCREASED ACCESSIBILITY

Photo and text courtesy of the Ballard Park Association

From the Ballard Park Association: Pribble Excavating LLC began construction September 13th on an accessibility project designed to make exploring and enjoying the park easier and safer for visitors. When completed, pathways made from porous materials poured over a base of stones will enter the park from Main Street, leading to picnic table seating areas and the Memorial Garden. In an effort to improve the ice skating experience, the lawn where the rink is assembled has been leveled using sod and dirt that was excavated to form the paths.

Please stay off the pathways and lawn until the yellow caution tape is removed, and remind others to do the same until the project is completed.

Thank you!

SENIOR WALKING HOURS NOW AVAILABLE AT BVCS LAKE VIEW CAMPUS!

Morning walking hours are open at the Lakeview campus once again! Hours are Monday thru Friday 6:30am-7:45am in the school gym. Afternoon hours are TBD pending the finalized sports schedule. The routine is the same as last year: Go in through the front door, sign in at the entryway, proceed to gym. There will be a liability waiver at the sign-in desk that needs to be signed by every participant. Clean shoes only, please.

Yay! We’re all happier and healthier when walking.

CATS ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF PETER GERNSHEIMER AS FIRST LAND CONSERVATION MANAGER

Photo and text courtesy of Champlain Area Trails

CATS is excited to announce the appointment of Peter Gernsheimer as its first Land Conservation Manager.  

With over 15 years of experience in ecological preservation and land conservation, Gernsheimer is poised to make a significant impact at CATS. He previously served as a program manager with the Student Conservation Association, where he was instrumental in connecting youth with career opportunities in the conservation field. His diverse background includes contributions to impactful projects across the U.S., such as salmon habitat recovery in Seattle and the reintroduction of the American chestnut in Pennsylvania. Read the full article HERE.

We are YOUR Alliance! Follow our Website, Facebook Page and Instagram. Follow all the happenings on the Calendar, and What’s Happening in Westport Facebook Page. 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