Government

Town, Church Reach Agreement on God’s Acre

By |

The NewCanaanite.com Summer Internship Program is sponsored by Carriage Barn Arts Center. The Board of Selectmen during its most recent meeting voted in favor of an agreement that’s expected to bring a lengthy legal battle between the town and Congregational Church of New Canaan to a close. The agreement (which can be read here in full) sets aside the question of who owns God’s Acre—a question that First Selectman Kevin Moynihan raised amid the legal dispute—and calls for creation of a four-person committee to make decisions about the hallowed New Canaan property, a burial ground for the town’s founders. Selectman Kathleen Corbet during the Board’s July 25 meeting cited this sentence from the agreement—“Whereas, for at least two centuries the church, the town and New Canaan residents have honored, maintained and enjoyed God’s Acre in a respectful and harmonious manner”—saying, “I feel this agreement moves forward with those intentions.”

Selectman Nick Williams added, “It’s an elegant and simple solution.”

The selectmen voted 3-0 to accept it. 

A dispute first arose in 2020, when the church opposed a town-backed plan to construct a stone terrace at the top of God’s Acre, saying that they were the legal owners of the property. The church’s claim was questioned by Moynihan, who noted that the town spends taxpayer dollars maintaining the parcel. 

While evidence has since been discovered by attorneys representing the Congregational Church that supports their claim to ownership, the new policy that both parties have agreed upon will override any previous claim to ownership in favor of both parties agreeing to hold joint stewardship of the property.

Around Town

‘Peanut Butter Warfare’: New Canaan Man Launches Comic Strip

By |

The NewCanaanite.com Summer Internship Program is sponsored by Carriage Barn Arts Center. People start writing with different goals in mind, whether it’s for fame, money or popularity. Other times, such as for New Canaan’s Matt Hepler, it can just be a way to escape the mundanity of day-to-day life. You might not have heard of “Peanut Butter Warfare” before, but among its 300 followers on its primary publication site, “Webtoons,” it has received a user rating of 9.4 stars out of 10. 

Inspired by classic comic strips such as “Peanuts” or “The Boondocks,” Hepler’s comic describes itself on the official Webtoon page as a “dysfunctional family comic that reminds us that what’s important isn’t to have all of the answers but to be what people hold onto when life takes a turn.” 

A brand strategist by trade, Hepler said he has always enjoyed writing on the side, having done work on several plays and childrens books in the past. However, since settling into his new career, finding time to put toward larger projects became increasingly difficult. 

That was how he got the idea to start creating comics.

Government

Organization Seeks Changes to ‘Gores Pavilion’ Agreement with Town

By |

A venerable nonprofit organization is seeking changes to its lease with the town regarding an historic building located in a public park. The New Canaan Museum & Historical Society has proposed changes to its lease agreement for Gores Pavilion, an iconic structure in Irwin Park, including that “exterior painting” be added to a list of repairs that NCM&HS can request town funds for, according to documents obtained by NewCanaanite.com through a public records request. 

Painting had been in the existing 2007 agreement as the sole responsibility of NCM&HS, but under the proposed change, the responsibility for the cost of exterior painting would be incurred by the town while interior painting remains the responsibility of the nonprofit organization. The drafted revisions appeared to have been submitted to the town in January by NCM&HS Executive Director Nancy Geary, though no action has yet been taken, according to Selectman Nick Williams.

During the July 11 Board of Selectmen meeting, Williams mentioned to First Selectmen Kevin Moynihan that he had been contacted by Historical Society officials asking for an update. “The Historical Society, I guess there was a request from Nancy to make some minor modifications to the Irwin agreement,” Williams said at the meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. “The Gores Pavilion agreement.

Business

‘I Feel Great’: Sean Brennan Takes Over as Owner of C&H Auto

By |

The NewCanaanite.com Summer Internship Program is sponsored by Carriage Barn Arts Center. One of New Canaan’s most trusted auto repair shops has a new owner. Steve Gaeta, longtime owner of C&H Automotive and Towing, recently sold the Main Street business to longtime General Manager Sean Brennan. Brennan began working at C&H during high school. “I started off pumping gas, he told the New Canaanite on a recent afternoon.

Government

Town Upholds $150 Ticket Issued to Local Man Who Parked in Disabled Space

By |

Town officials came to a unanimous decision in June to uphold a $150 parking ticket issued to a 42-year New Canaan resident who parked in a disabled space downtown. Yuosef Malekzedah, 81, was taking his daughter’s Jeep into town when he felt the need to use the restroom, he told members of the Parking Commission during a June 14 appeal hearing, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. With all of the spaces surrounding the Mobil gas station full, he made the decision to park in a nearby handicap space, Malekzedah said. “I couldn’t go into the gas station because a gasoline tanker was there,” he said. “I parked in a handicapped for a few minutes and went to bathroom and I came back and got a ticket.”

In his written appeal, filed May 23, Malekzedah said that he takes three different medications to treat a chronic condition.