Photos courtesy of Haas Stone and Steel

Tucked away on the edge of Westport is Haas Stone and Steel, a group of skilled craftsmen who are reviving the traditional trade of fine heritage- quality metal and stone work. This quote from their blog captures their philosophy and practice:

“When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone. Let it be such work as our descendants will thank us for; and let us think, as we lay stone on stone, that a time is to come when those stones will be held sacred because our hands have touched them, and that men will say, as they look upon the labor and wrought substance of them, 'See! This our fathers did for us.” ~ John Ruskin

Spring is sneaking in upon us. Or is it rushing? Every moment, every hour and day are full of shifts and changes: dry snow wet snow no snow and ice. The Canada Geese overwintered on Lake Champlain and sing a wall of sound in the evenings. Now Robins and other songbirds are joining in the chorus during the daytime. Fickle March brings the yearly reminder to pay attention: to each shifting moment, each opportunity to revel in what is before us.

In Westport, the lovingly maintained ice skating rink (thank you Scott and Deb and team!) will thaw, and the sap will start to run (yay, maple syrup!) in the sugar bushes. We get to enjoy a surprise bunch of artistic performances this month, from the staged play reading at the Heritage House on March 9th to the rescheduled (thank you, blizzard!) Ricochet Duo at the Hand House on March 8 and 9, regular and impromptu performances at the Mill on Fridays and Saturdays, and a simply stunning schedule of lyceums, movies, live music and exhibitions at the Whallonsburg Grange Hall and Whitcomb’s Arts. And don’t forget the regular Monday night movies at the Library, which is such a fun and companionable event!

Chazy & Westport Communications: A Legacy of Connection and Innovation

Since our founding in 1905 as a small independent telephone provider in rural northern New York, Chazy & Westport Communications has been dedicated to connecting communities and fostering local prosperity. In 1952, Gerald R. Forcier expanded our vision by acquiring key regional telephone companies. By 1959, the merger of these companies formed Chazy & Westport Telephone Corporation, setting us on a course to continually innovate—from pioneering digital switching to introducing cutting-edge fiber optic technology.

Transforming Rural Communities

We’ve played a pivotal role in turning towns like Westport, Wadhams, Chazy, West Chazy, and parts of Altona into vibrant, connected communities. Our state-of-the-art fiber optic network isn’t just about delivering high-speed internet—it’s a lifeline that supports remote work, online learning, and thriving local businesses. We’re proud to have shattered the isolation once felt in rural areas, allowing families and professionals alike to plant roots and prosper.

We’ve made it to February! The turning of the year rocked us with many major transitions, and we are now in Saint Valentine’s month, a reminder to renew our commitment to love ourselves, one another, our unspeakably beautiful planet and the beauty we are so fortunate to be surrounded by every day. Of course, partaking of a little chocolate always helps!

January offered us so many enriching and fun activities, and this month is no different! The Library is a real center of congregation, with writing groups, yarn craft groups, lectures, concerts, the Monday night movie series, and the 6 week Aging Wisely series by the Prevention Team of Ticonderoga. The Mill continues to add movies, an endless variety of cutting edge music, fine art, cocktails, culinary delights, ‘Knocktail’ classes and even Tarot readings. Snowfort has new books coming down the pipeline, as well as Date Night on Feb 14, so you can drop off the kids and enjoy a night at the Mill, and everyone is happy! Champlain Area Trails is constantly adding new hikes, book clubs and bird watching opportunities, too many to mention here: stay tuned on their website and our online Town Calendar.

Happy New Year Westport! We’ve reached that time to pause and reflect on the accomplishments, challenges and sweetness of 2024, and to make plans to build upon that good foundation.

The past year saw numerous exciting changes in Westport: the Galley was reborn and updated as Portside Restaurant, thanks to the intrepid and talented Carroll sisters, the Mill opened and thrills us with world class art, music, cocktails and food, Snowfort Books is growing into a gorgeous cozy bookstore and space with themed kid’s camps, notable author presentations and lots of books, (WHO has a real bookstore these days? We are so lucky!), K&D Deli will be up and running this year (More groceries right in town!), JAMBS Coffee expanded outdoors with a lovely deck in back (talking amongst trees instead of cars) ,Flowers Plus! Planted 137 Lilacs with the help of many volunteers, the Heritage House enjoyed a banner year of art sales from the Spirit of Place exhibit, Ballard Park hosted a vibrant outdoor concert and movie series, the Westport Chair Trail was born, the Amtrak Platform gained an accessible upgrade, and so much more.

The last breath of 2024 has finally turned frosty, and we have snow, cool temperatures, and holidays on the way! Westport’s Annual Holiday Festival is coming right up next Saturday December 7th: for the full schedule revisit our Special Holiday Edition Newsletter HERE, and check our TOWN CALENDAR for up-to-date additions. During this giving season, please consider donating to any of the WWCA initiatives of your choice. Thank you!

Alongside the hubbub of the holidays, Westport is humming with news, from the Depot Theatre’s receiving of 2025 NYSCA Funding, to NCPR’s story of the Carroll Sister’s Portside journey, and the Adirondack Explorer’s coverage of 100 year storms, with a highlight on the drainage tribulations of Westport. Winter 2025 is shaping up to be one of the most engaging in recent memory, with movies and more at the Mill, books, camps, pop-ups and author’s talks at Snowfort Books, Excellent baked goods and pizza at Trigo, Dogwood Pizza nights every Friday, and a constant supply of CATS hikes and activities (love them? Donate HERE). Bring it on!

What does your business offer? 

-We are a sheep farm and small garden driven nursery, offering lamb, sheepskins, woven blankets, other woven woolen goods, yarn, and in the spring and summer of 2025 we will be open on Saturdays selling plants: annual veggie starts, flowers, herbs, and garden proven hardy perennials.  

Where can we find your products this holiday season (any markets? online..essex farm, etc) (and the rest of the year)

Anytime on our online store (www.wollecru.com), at the Grange Holiday market in Essex on Dec. 14, 11am-3pm, Winter Faire at Lake Champlain Waldorf School in Shelburne on the evening of Dec 6.  

GoWestportNY Monthly News

It’s one of our favorite times of year: the season for holiday gatherings and celebrations, communal cooking and savoring of meals, a time of finding light and warmth together in the shivering darkness of December. This is also a time to open our hearts and thoughts not only to our loved ones, but to everyone who is struggling for any reason: to give our time, attention and resources to those around us, so that we may as a community thrive and build strong connections to one another.

Come cultivate your community connections at Westport’s Holiday Festival on Saturday December 7th! The day’s activities run the gamut from the Boy Scout’s Tree Sale at 8am, to the Church breakfast, crafts, vendors, caroling, to the Santa parade and the film ‘Elf’ at the Mill. There will be many opportunities to give as you decorate ornaments at the Heritage House for the Memory Tree, and purchase a gift for a child in need for Project We Care at the Champlain National Bank. Consider donating to any Westport project that is working to improve the lives of all of us: the WWCA, Flowers Plus!, Ballard Park, the Heritage House, the Depot Theatre, and the Library. Thank you! Read on for a complete schedule (and don’t forget to visit the WWCA Town Calendar!)

Here we are, Westport, at a real ‘turning of the tides’ moment! It’s pitch black outside when we arise in the morning; some days are freezing and some are still near 80 degrees, and in less than a week we may know the results of this election!

One cool thing about all this weather variety (some call it chaos) is that one day we can go skiing, and the next still plant bulbs in the garden or comfortably work on building projects! This newsletter is bursting at the seams with all the useful and fun things happening in November: read on and join in!

PBN strives to present as much diversity in music as we can, and have so far presented music beginning in the Renaissance all the way to music written almost literally ‘yesterday’. The instruments we have included have been too numerous to list, although one highlight was an ondes martenot and another was a marimba (on several occasions)- all with the piano as the instrument beckoning the others to the stage.

Welcome to chilly October! Hold onto your wool hats, because there’s so much happening in Westport this month that you will have a hard time choosing which activity to attend! We have new businesses starting up, several that are remaining open all winter, and a huge array of educational, social and fun events on the docket. Halloween is rushing upon us, and our Holiday Festival is in the works for December 7th!

September is a time of mixed emotions: sadness at the waning of the exciting, frenetic schedules of summer, and a quiet relishing of the cooler, more restful months to come. We’re all a bit sunburnt, our hair a bit mussed, and we’re not ready to settle down yet. Which is a good thing, because the best season is just beginning: Autumn!

It’s the Dog Days: the hottest ones, when the star Sirius, the “Dog Star” rises with the sun and, it was believed, added its heat to the sun’s to make everything hotter. Along with the heat comes the second chapter of summer: Abundance! Farms are in full tilt harvest mode, the Essex County Fair is on from August 14-18, there are more concerts in Ballard Park on Thursdays, movies in the Park on Mondays, swimming at Westport Beach, fine theatre at the Depot, a variety of Library presentations to feed your intellectual and creative spirit, Church suppers, and gosh, Westport! We have several places to get an awesome cocktail in the evening! Our town is HOT!

Here we are, in the thick of summer, and Westport is hopping! Read on for a full list of fun things to do during Westport-Wadhams Day, Saturday July 6th, from the CATS scavenger hunt in the early morning to dancing, music, the parade, and so much more, all the way to the grand finale of fireworks from Lee Park at dusk. Put on your red white and blue, roll out the picnic blanket and join in the festivities!

Happy March, Westport! Spring is very sneaky this year: she seems to have had a hand in almost every month of winter. Birdsong has continued to grace our mornings, and it grows louder and more varied with each rising sun. Our town is also getting ready to burst into growth! Just for starters, the Total Solar Eclipse is happening on April 8, and along with this three minute celestial miracle, we will witness the population of our towns expand beyond our imaginations, and fill with bustling activity: March is our time to make final preparations.

Remember the days when we could trek across Lake Champlain in the winter? Just as the weather has changed drastically since the photo above was taken, so Westport itself has changed dramatically, and continues to evolve in new and exciting ways! We are truly living in a moment of electric positivity and transformation. Let's Go, Westport! Read on.

What's happening in Westport, NY in May 2023. The Flowers Plus! Committee is creating a Lilac Festival, Heritage House has lots of offerings, local businesses are hiring, and more!

What's happening in Westport, NY in April 2023. Amtrak returns, a new restaurant has opened, a new DC Fast charger is unveiled, business workshops, and more!

See what’s happening in March 2023.