New Canaan Police at 4:07 p.m. on Jan. 10 received a report of a sweatshirt stolen from the YMCA. They have no suspects.
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New Canaan Chamber Music’s next concert, titled “Americans in Paris,” will be held at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 6 and 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 7 at First Presbyterian Church of New Canaan. It will feature pianist Andrew Armstrong (also New Canaan Chamber Music’s artistic director), Mak Grgić (guitar) and Orion Weiss (piano). Tickets here.
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John Goodwin in a Jan. 7 letter to the Town Clerk resigned from the Affordable Housing Committee, which he had been chairing.
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L-R: Rotarian and local dentist Dr. Spencer Meyers, Rotary Club of New Canaan President Amy Gildea and Dr. Jaime Ruszkowski. Contributed
Dr. Jaime Ruszkowski, the town’s new medical director, spoke to the Rotary Club of New Canaan about the successful efforts to eradicate polio, now seen only in Afghanistan and Pakistan where efforts continue to eradicate it. Rotary International’s Polio Plus initiative has been a leader on this since 1979 and has raised a cumulative $2.7 billion to support eradication efforts, members say.
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Join the New Canaan YMCA by Jan. 31 to earn a $0 joiner fee and a free month. Details here.
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New Canaan Fire Marshal Paul Payne is accepting appointments to conduct complimentary fire safety assessments at New Canaan homes. The approximately one-hour reviews include: escape plans; smoke and carbon monoxide detector locations; placement and use of fire extinguishers; advice on electrical outlets, cords and power strips; and information related to mechanical equipment such as heating systems and clothes dryers. The Fire Marshal will check the homes room-by-room from attic to basement, garage, exterior, and outbuildings as well. Homeowners are invited to call the Fire Marshal’s Office at 203-594-3030 or you may email donna.hutter@newcanaanct.gov to schedule an appointment.
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The Police Commission voted 3-0 Wednesday to re-elect Paul Foley as chair, in an organizational meeting overseen by First Selectman Dionna Carlson.
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The First Presbyterian Church of New Canaan’s “Adult Forum,” featuring ABC House Executive Director Jamie Boris, will be held at 11:30 a.m. (following a 10 a.m. worship service) on Sunday, Jan. 26. Lunch will be provided at the free forum, where Boris will talk about ABC, which marked 50 years in 2024.
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Scott Harrison at NCHS
Congratulations to Scott Harrison, a member of the New Canaan High School class of 1991 who will be inducted into the CT Lacrosse Hall of Fame on Jan. 24 in Stratford. The highly decorated attackman was a four-year varsity letterman at NCHS under CT Lacrosse Hall of Fame coach Howard Benedict, capturing the FCIAC championship in 1988 and 1990 and the CT State Championship in 1990. Leading scorer on the 1990 team that finished a perfect 18-0, Harrison was First team All-FCIAC and All-State in 1990 and 1991, capping his high school career by being named All-American, earning MVP in the CT North-South Senior All-Star game and playing in the National North-South All-Star game. After New Canaan, Harrison continued his career at Duke University, where he was a two-time All-American and was selected to the ACC All-Tournament team and First Team All-ACC in 1994 and 1995. He resides in New Canaan with his wife Raquel and their three daughters Hannah (10), Sarah (9) and Mattie (7) who are active in lacrosse, American Ninja Warrior, and soccer. He works at Gridiron Capital, LLC where he is a senior managing director.
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Tickets are on sale for the Town Players of New Canaan’s next show. “Terra Nova” runs Feb. 21 to March 9. Info here.
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Here’s the Congregational Church of New Canaan’s “God’s Acre On the Go” podcast.
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The Town Council during its regular meeting Wednesday took up an agenda item described as “Review and discussion regarding proposed changes to the Town Council Rules.” It was scheduled for 20 minutes and lasted one hour, 12 minutes and 19 seconds.
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VFW Post 653 members at St. Luke’s School on Jan. 9, 2025. Photo courtesy of the VFW
Members of VFW Post 653 on Jan. 9 participated in a senior class discussion at St. Luke’s School on the history of war. “The students were interested in our experiences in different military conflicts,” VFW Commander Mike McGlinn said. “We had participated in a similar discussion at the New Canaan High School Young Americans for Freedom Club in November.”
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Congratulations to Cooper Dinan for making the Dean’s List for fall semester (3.5 or higher GPA) at Eastern Connecticut State University, where he’s a sophomore majoring in business administration.
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Waveny LifeCare Network this week announced the opening of its new Navigator Adult Day Program, now accepting applications at its 3 Farm Road campus. Part of the broader Navigator Alzheimer’s & Dementia at Home initiative, the program offers a supportive environment for individuals with Alzheimer’s or dementia while providing a daytime respite for caregivers. More info here.
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Vandalism incidents increased sharply year-over-year, from 24 in 2023 to 57 in 2024, according to police. The rise is due mainly to vandalism sprees downtown, officials say.
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Free and open to the public, the annual service honoring the life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 20 at the United Methodist Church on South Avenue. It’s organized by the Interfaith Council of New Canaan. More info here.
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Close to 20 years in the making, local director Devon Chivvis’s film “The Harvard 5: a story of love, architecture and a design revolution” about mid-century modern architecture in New Canaan will premiere next month. The film has received a matching grant opportunity that expires Jan. 31: Connecticut-based Jeniam Foundation has agreed to generously match donations dollar for dollar up to $10,000. Tax-deductible donations can be made here.
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Now showing at the Playhouse movie theater on Elm Street: “A Complete Unknown,” “The Last Showgirl” and “September 5.”
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Finally—courtesy of event section sponsor April Kaynor & Kelly DeFrancesco of William Raveis—here are more local happenings worth checking out (add your event to the Community Calendar here and we’ll share it with fellow residents):
- Hobbs To Speak on the Power of Geothermal (January 17 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am)
- Blood Drive (January 18 @ 8:00 am – 1:30 pm)
- Rev Martin Luther King, Jr. Service (January 20 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am)
- Lunch and Learn: John Rogers, a prolific American Sculptor (January 21 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm)
- Best-Selling Authors: Lisa Genova and Ann Leary Discuss More or Less Maddy (January 21 @ 6:30 pm – 8:15 pm)
- Land Trust: Pollinators in My Backyard (January 25 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm)
- Staying Put’s 17th Birthday Party (January 26 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm)
- Public Forum on Community Health & Well-Being Survey Results (January 27 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm)
- Family Wellness Made Simple with Dr. Raquel Harrison (January 29 @ 11:00 am – 12:00 pm)
- Hit Pause to Redesign Your Life: Jeanne Collins’ Inspiring TEDx Journey to Life-Work Balance (January 29 @ 12:30 pm – 2:00 p.m.)
- 45th Annual Photography Exhibition Opening Reception at the Carriage Barn (February 1 @ 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm)
- Mad Hatter Valentines Tea Party (February 2 @ 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm)