Westport-Wadhams builds Community Alliance

WESTPORT | Re-imagining the definition of doing business here has reset context for the whole community. When the Westport Chamber of Commerce considered taking steps to dissolve in 2021, talks began in earnest. And the Chamber changed direction. By early 2022, a new nine-member board held focus group discussions. With input from businesses, families, farmers, kids, workers, year-round and summer residents and the town, the group grew into a 15-member board representing all interests. Focus group discussion identified topics that seemed of greatest interest, reaching beyond the work of a Chamber. Community concerns centered on childcare, a supermarket, affordable housing for young people and families, a usable public waterfront, and restoration of the Essex County Fairgrounds Agricultural Building. To encompass a broadened scope of interests, the Chamber has moved to become a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization renamed the Westport-Wadhams Community Alliance. They are working through legal logistics now. The organization's president, Clayton Reaser, and members Tena Perrelli and Alyssa Carroll explained how the change in charter will allow the Alliance to seek grant funds and conduct work as a charitable nonprofit with a community-wide reach. "There were five different community forums, and over the course of those discussions, we began to understand clearly that in a small community like Westport, you have to engage all entities to drive a new awareness of what makes a community healthy," Reaser said recently. "An 'alliance' really focuses on the need to collaborate. That is what it's really about: to engage is to involve farming, the arts, education, healthcare, recreation, business, all of it." By deepening connections, the alliance is building new events for families and residents, businesses and people interested in Westport's future. The result is a host of new community gathering points, such as winter bonfires in Lee Park, game nights, and a Casino Night to raise funds for Westport's famed fireworks on Independence Day. Board member Perrelli said they are striving to transmute a business-centered group with very few businesses actively involved, into an organization that brings all aspects of community together. "Something happened; part of it was Clay Reaser. And then it just took off," she said. "We held these forums, and people said 'Hey, things are happening here.'" Carroll said they are composing a community support structure. "Reinventing what we are and what we are trying to become not only supports business, but also supports the community at large," Carroll said. "And we are so tiny; we have a lot of people who leave in the winter. It's an interesting community that has to figure out how this is going to work so that we are vital and businesses can thrive. It takes us all swimming in the same direction," Perrelli said. That accurately defines the current moving in Westport. The new Chamber viz Alliance has found entirely new ways to collaborate. Reaser explained how management at the Westport Golf Course is working with Main Street business owners to improve the boutique at the pro shop. The new alliance has worked to address the lack of a grocery store with the recent closure of Everybody's Market on Main Street. That will be reopening this year, Perrelli said, with new owners. The empty mill will reopen this year with new owners and plans pending for a fitness center. The former fire station building has been purchased, with several community-based ideas for reuse of that space. The Gables Inn has been renovated by its new owner, adding what will become a year-round restaurant, the Mountain Dog Tavern, host for Casino Night. The Westport Library is collaborating with the Depot Theatre to stage a play-reading in the afternoon on March 4 before Casino Night. What sparked the renewal? "They saw the same magic that we see now," Carroll said. "We all see that it is worth protecting and nurturing." COMING HOME Carroll, who is newly married and returned to Westport, is helping define how a small town can welcome young adults. She was asked for her perspective on her return. "I grew up in Westport, and I loved my childhood here," she said. "I felt supported by the school system, and by the community at large. I had wonderful friends, and those friendships are still strong in my life. I made the decision in 2013 to move to Los Angeles, Calif., to pursue a career in television editing. I work each day to build a television show by making sure that the right reaction from a character helps to tell the story as a whole. Each day I see how small decisions build to a whole, and that has informed how I approach my life." As she built a group of friends in Los Angeles and filled her apartment with plants, Carroll said she realized something was missing: a connection to nature. When the pandemic hit, her job became remote. "Once it became clear that I would be able to continue to find remote work, my husband, Kevin, and I made the decision to move to Westport. The high-speed internet available in Westport meant that my workflow wouldn't be interrupted. I can edit television shows from my house. Kevin and I both crave the connections that small communities bring. A quick hello does so much to make you feel at home. I feel like I have found a way to balance out my screen time with outdoor time. It's such a gift." As momentum moved toward alliance, Carroll joined. "Westport is not just our businesses, not just our residents, not just our educational system, not just our health care and emergency services, not just our recreation and tourism, not just our artists." It's an organism that strives forward as a whole, Carroll said. "I'm thrilled that we're moving forward in collaboration with the town as a whole. We're building great things, one small step at a time." WHAT'S HAPPENING IN WESTPORT Westport-Wadhams Community Alliance Meetings (aka the Chamber of Commerce) meets on the first Wednesday of each month. Visit the website at www.gowestportny.com and find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WestportChamberOfCommerceNY. To join a meeting, email: chamber@westportny.com. Games and Puzzles Winter Wednesdays: held every Wednesday starting on Jan. 18 until March 29th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Westport Heritage House, 6459 Main St, Westport. Get to know the members of your community by enjoying a game and puzzles event. Play-Reading: "Radiant Vermin" by Philip Ridley, Saturday, March 4, at 2:30 p.m. A collaboration between the Depot Theatre, the Westport Chamber of Commerce, and the Westport Library Association brings a staged play-reading of "Radiant Vermin" by Philip Ridley, produced by Saranac Lake-based Adirondack Stage Rats. Casino Night: A Fireworks Fundraiser on Saturday, March 4, from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. at the Westport Hose Company #1, 15 Commercial Park Ln., Westport. A fun night of casino games will raise money for the Independence Day Fireworks Celebration. Advance Purchase Tickets: $30 for members, $40 for non-members. Tickets at the door: $40 for all Casino games including Craps, Roulette, Blackjack, and Texas Hold 'Em. Tables will be open from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Ticket includes hors d'oeuvres, one drink ticket, and $150 worth of game chips. Community Bonfire Night at Lee Park: Saturday, March 11, from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. Lee Park Hill, Westport. Hang out with your neighbors and enjoy the night air. Starting just after sunset and going until they run out of wood. Keith Hoffnagle will be selling Michigans and hot beverages. Westport Day: Saturday, July 1. An entire day of fun activities, parade, fireworks, and much more.

Signup for our newsletter

Westport-Wadhams builds Community Alliance

COMPANY

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

SUBMISSION FORMS

BEYOND THE NEWS