Around Town

‘A Second Family’: Horizons in New Canaan Launches Alumni Association for Program Graduates

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For 54 years, Horizons at New Canaan Country School has worked to provide better futures for K-12 students from low-income families by creating year-round academic, artistic and athletic opportunities through a variety of programs.

This year, Horizons has consolidated a major part of its support base by creating an Alumni Association. The program is something that the Board of Directors has been “working on for a long time, and tried many different approaches,” said New Canaan native and Board Chair Jennifer Barnard, who has been active with the organization for over 10 years. “The organization started 54 years ago, so there are hundreds and hundreds of people who have gone through the program, and it can be difficult to keep track of everyone involved,” Barnard said. “But with social media, everything has been made much easier.”

Brian McGregor, who works in IT Solutions at Bankwell in New Canaan who is from Stamford and attended Horizons through middle school, said he lost contact with fellow participants after they went off to different high schools. “After Horizons we would take SAT and ACT test prep, small programs to keep us together after graduation and help with the college process,” McGregor said.

Biz on Biz

Biz on Biz: Club Sandwich Spotlights Walter Stewart’s, Toy Chest

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Club Sandwich has occupied its Cherry Street space for more than 30 years, and is a trusted mainstay for its tasty sandwiches, drinks and snack offerings. In 2008, Leo Gaspar took over management of the establishment with his wife Jennifer playing an active role in the business as well. Asked about her favorite products and services offered by other local businesses, Jennifer Gaspar spotlighted Walter Stewart’s Market. “We grocery shop there,” Gaspar said. “They’ve remodeled and it looks really nice.”

As a mother, Gaspar noted the high quality of Walter Stewart’s selection.

Government

Parking Bureau To Issue Additional Permits for Those Who Work Downtown

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Demand for a new type of parking permit serving those who work in downtown New Canaan businesses has been so high that municipal officials are looking to issue more of them. Designed to stop those employees from taking up free spaces on Main and Elm Streets, the 40 permits made available last summer for Morse Court and Park Street Lots (20 apiece) all have been sold and so the town is looking to issue another 10, according to First Selectman Kevin Moynihan. “There is no reason not to just continue to meet that demand,” Moynihan said last week during a media briefing held in his Town Hall office, in response to a question from NewCanaanite.com. The permits cost $438 per year. To help targeted downtown workers afford them, the Parking Bureau may also allow permit-holders to pay quarterly versus annually, Moynihan said.

Around Town

Camp LiveGirl Concludes Fourth Year of Week Long Camp

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Inspiration, strength, perseverance, personal growth, and confidence are not words many young girls are used to hearing every day. Yet at Camp LiveGirl, where 5th- through 12th-graders gather together with adult mentors, the girls learn what it truly means to have their “power.”

The organization that runs the camp, LiveGirl, was founded in 2015 by New Canaan resident Sheri West after her own family’s transformative experience with the Fresh Air Fund. Launched with a group of 80 hosting girls for a week in the summer, Camp LiveGirl has grown into providing a group of 140 girls from all over Fairfield County that attracts volunteer counselors and high-profile speakers and mentors that believe in empowering young women. LiveGirl has also launched year-round efforts dedicated to provide development and mentorship opportunities for girls. With guest keynote speakers such as New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver, paralympian Jessica Long and Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame education director Lena Harwood Pacheco, the campers are taught life lessons such as the value of failure and historic struggles women have faced as well as gaining exposure to female role models.

Around Town

Praise for New ‘Welcome to Silvermine’ Sign

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Residents of Silvermine recently unveiled a new ‘Welcome’ sign to their historic and unique neighborhood. The painted blue ‘Welcome to Silvermine Historic Area’ sign near the intersection of Silvermine Avenue and River Road features a swan and has been in place since July 10, officials say. The sign’s creation and installment was a year in the making, according to Silvermine Community Association president Megan Ferrell, who spearheaded the project and helped with design. “It took a lot of time to get the proper permits for it,” Ferrell said, as the sign sits on a circle that although maintained by the Silvermine Community Association is under the jurisdiction of the city of Norwalk. The fundraising for the sign was driven by the neighborhood’s desire for something that represented the community, she said.