By Kerri Willliams

WESTPORT – Those active in town have probably already run into the latest member of the Parks & Recreation Commission.

Alex Cohen, who has lived in Westport most of his life, has served on the Rotary Club for nearly 16 years. In 2023, he joined the board of Sustainable Westport. He can also be seen at Winslow Park almost every day, often accompanied by wife Ling Chow and their two children, Bodhi, 9, and Winter, 7. Winslow is the perfect place to walk their dog, Mochi, a mutt and rescue dog who also came from town.

“We definitely use the parks and have visited most of them,” Cohen told Westport Journal. There are 63 parks in town totaling 370 acres. “Our goal is to visit every one this summer,” he added.

Cohen was appointed to the commission by First Selectman Kevin Christie this month. His first meeting as a member took place last week. Chairman David Floyd introduced Cohen, noting that he will bring his knowledge about the town to the commission.

“Alex is a great addition to the Parks & Rec Commission,” Floyd said. “He’s a long-time resident and has school-age kids. He’s a great communicator and is very active in the Westport community through his involvement with Sustainable Westport and Rotary, both of which are exemplary organizations.”

Last week’s meeting was also the debut of the parks master plan, which has been in the works for more than a year. Cohen said he agrees with many of the goals of the plan, which was completed by BL Companies in Meriden. 

Two immediate needs he sees are building the maintenance facility at Longshore Golf Course and relocating the community gardens to Burr Farms. Another priority is to rebuild the skate park in town, which he grew up using.

Cohen said that some of these needs have been “pushed to the back” or delayed with “study after study.” His priority is to push forward with goals and “not waste money.”

Cohen’s mother, Gail Cohen, is a member of the Westport Community Gardens, and he sees firsthand how much she has missed the gardens in the two years they have been without a home. He said that Burr Farms is a “great location” and will foster building community and social connection. 

He also would like to see the new maintenance facility move forward at Longshore, replacing a current building that is dilapidated and no longer meets the town’s needs. Having a place to park vehicles out of the elements “makes a lot of sense,” he said, especially in a coastal town like Westport. 

For Cohen, being involved in the community is important and something he enjoys. He headed up the Rotary Club’s Lobster Fest for three years, calling the experience “a lot of fun.” He was also on the committee that built a new playground at Compo Beach, even hand-carving a sign that is attached to the boat within the playground.

A 2003 Staples graduate, Cohen works at Rhone, a clothing outlet, and also has a sales consulting agency called Bowi Advisors, a name that integrates the first names of both his children.

One of Cohen’s favorite things about Westport is Compo Beach, which he calls “magical.” He also frequents Haskins Preserve, a 16-acre property with trails and two ponds that is part of the Aspetuck Land Trust. He refers to it as a “hidden gem.” 

“We are very lucky to live where we live,” he said. “I love the four seasons and exploring, whatever the weather is.”

Kerri Williams

^{_{Kerri Williams is an award-winning writer and journalist. She has worked as a reporter at the Norwalk Hour, as Living editor at the Darien News-Review, and managing editor for the Norwalk Citizen-News. For Westport Journal, she is a reporter as well as a gardening columnist, writing “Cultivating with Kerri.” She recently published her first children’s book – “Mabel’s Big Move,” based on her daughter with special needs.}}