Around Town

Did You Hear … ?

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A mother turkey hopped out into Valley Road around 12:30 p.m. on June 7 to keep at bay a town woman walking her dog up near the Grupes Reservoir. The mama turkey apparently was guarding her three baby chicks nearby—unfortunately, a passing motorist struck the big bird and killed her. The pedestrian phoned the Animal Control section of the New Canaan Police Department, and Officer Allyson Halm spotted the baby turkeys but lost them on retrieving a carrier from the van. ***

Congratulations to New Canaan resident Pasquale Poccia, who became a U.S. citizen this week after taking the Oath of Allegiance on Wednesday during the 6th annual Flag Day Naturalization Ceremony at Mystic Seaport. Poccia is owner of Pasquale’s Osteria, an Italian and International/Continental cuisine restaurant on Main Street in Norwalk.

Around Town

$24,000 in Entrance Passes for Waveny Fireworks Sold So Far; Safety Tips

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Though online sales for passes to the Waveny Fireworks once again are showing increases year-over-year, the volunteer committee that runs the event is urging more residents to purchase the passes so that the Family Fourth may remain financially viable. Through Monday, $24,100 in entrance passes had been sold, against expenses for last summer’s event of about $70,000, according to Tom Stadler of the Family Fourth Committee. The group reported at its July 16 meeting that to-date overall sales had nearly doubled, and that a handful of residents had made very generous donations above-and-beyond the baseline $35 fee for a pass in order to support the Family Fourth, a cherished New Canaan tradition (tickets are available here for this year’s fireworks, to be held on Saturday, July 4). Even so, a misonception that the event is supported by the town (it isn’t, the Family Fourth fund is entirely standalone) still prevails. Plans are underway to launch social and online media campaigns to drum up support for the event and to hand out a flyer to residents who walk into Waveny on the day, encouraging them to support the fireworks through a donation to the fund.

Around Town

After Waveny Fireworks Lose $15,000, Family Fourth Organizers Urge Residents to Buy Passes

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New Canaan Family Fourth 2014 at Waveny
Coming off of a year that saw a cherished annual summer tradition lose nearly $15,000, members of the volunteer committee that oversees the self-funded Family Fourth are urging residents to support the fireworks and community gathering at Waveny. Contrary to what many presume, the event (to be held this year on Saturday, July 4—tickets here and find an informational flyer at the end of this article) is not funded by the town, and greater numbers of family passes must be sold in order for it to remain financially viable, according to Tom Stadler, a member of the New Canaan Family Fourth Committee. “It’s not free, and it’s not paid for by taxes,” Stadler said. “The only way to put [the fireworks] on is to sell the family passes and by donations. We have some very generous people, there are no tax dollars coming in, and everybody we use in town from Recreation to Fire to Police to Highway to Parks, we pay them out of a standalone fund for the day.”

He added: ““My appeal is for everyone to buy a pass to help support it.

Around Town

VIDEO: New Canaan Family Fourth Celebration, Fireworks at Waveny

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New Canaan Family Fourth 2014 at Waveny
 

On a perfectly clear, dry evening, thousands of New Canaanites walked and drove to Waveny on Saturday for the Family Fourth, one of the town’s most cherished community events. As the New Canaan Town Band belted out American hit after hit from the Waveny House balcony, families munched on picnic dinners, tossed Frisbees and kicked soccer balls around the fields. The video above includes clips from all of that, as well as the end of the great fireworks finale. Delayed by one day due to the thunderstorms that struck overnight Thursday, the popular gathering waited for a beautiful night. Many thanks to the Family Fourth Committee for its volunteering to plan a great event.

Around Town

New Canaan Family Fourth at Waveny Moved to Saturday (Still 5 p.m.)

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With rain now expected to fall into Friday evening, town officials are postponing the Waveny fireworks to Saturday. Though the town had been holding out hope to get the Family Fourth Celebration in as planned, it’s not possible to set up fireworks in the rain, said Tom Stadler, administrative officer in the first selectman’s office. The event will go on exactly as planned but one day later—so that’s at 5 p.m. at Waveny with the fireworks expected to start around 9 p.m. It will include our New Canaan Town Band, food, drinks, ice cream and entertainment for kids. The forecast calls for a clear and comfortable Saturday. Here’s a guide to what is open and closed in New Canaan this weekend.