Westport's 'best friend' honored

WESTPORT | Memorial benches can be traced back to early human civilizations, where public spaces, gardens, and parks were infused with monuments and structures honoring revered individuals. Late last month, Flowers Plus! dedicated the town's first installment to Arthur "Artie" Dodge. "I used to call him the 'Guardian Angel of Westport,'" reminisced Westport-Wadhams Flowers Plus! Chair Patricia "Pat" Toyan about the beloved community member who passed away in 2019. "He was a very kind soul who would do things for people and never ask for anything in return." The idea of a memorial bench arose last year when members of Flowers Plus! — a volunteer-powered beautification initiative under the Westport‑Wadhams Community Alliance (WWCA) that formed to enrich the town's visual appeal — were trying to think of ways to improve the town's streetscape. The volunteer group began by re-beautifying the triangle between Main Street and Champlain Avenue. Afterwards, they began planting in other areas around town, and it was then that they realized what was missing were places for people to sit while enjoying the beauty that surrounded them. Adding benches was a clear solution. However, Flowers Plus! wanted more than just your average outdoor seating option; the members decided to solicit the community for nominations on who or what to dedicate it to. Nominations were open to individuals, families, businesses, etc. — open to anyone who, or anything that, made a positive difference to the community. Dodge was this year's recipient. Flowers Plus! decided to place the new cast-iron bench in front of Chazy & Westport Communications, where Dodge worked for a little over 25 years. The unveiling featured speakers from the town, including Supervisor Michael "Ike" Tyler and members of Dodge's family, and make-your-own-sundaes donated by Stewart's Shops. "One of Artie's kids told me that he loved ice cream, so much so that he would sometimes have it for breakfast," shared Project Lead Laurie Kelley. "That's why we asked Stewart's to donate in honor of him." Members of Flowers Plus! hope that this is the beginning of a new yearly tradition, to add at least one new memorial bench to the town a year, Troyan said. The goal is to have at least three benches installed by the time the town's first-ever Lilac Festival takes place sometime in May 2028. "We decided to create this event because we wanted to try to bring some economic vitality to the town," Troyan shared. "That and lilacs grow very well around here." So far, almost 90 lilac bushes have been planted around Westport and Wadhams, said Kelley. "In preparation for the future Lilac Festival, and in hopes of 'lilacing' up the town, we wanted to sell plants to residents at a discounted price." The group's latest sale ended on Sept. 5, in which they were selling a variety of lilac plants, including Bloomerang Dark Purple, Paliban, Betsy Ross, Beauty of Moscow, Pocahontas, and New Age Lavender, for $35 each. The group plans to host more lilac sales in the future, and for their next bench, they hope to start taking nominations in January. Check out the group Facebook page ("Westport-Wadhams Flowers Plus") for updates. Flowers Plus! is also accepting donations toward future benches. To donate, go to givebutter.com/MemorialBench or make out a check to Flowers Plus! with the note "Bench" and mail it to the following: Flowers Plus!, PO Box 394, Westport, NY 12993.

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Westport's 'best friend' honored

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