News

Op-Ed: Gratitude and Reflection

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Dear New Canaan Community, 

Nine years ago, Gil and I moved to this beautiful town with two middle school-aged girls. We were, as so many are, taken with the walking village life, the centrality of the school as a critical community anchor, and especially by the incredible amount of open public land that highlights New England beauty. 

As we prepare to relocate back home to the Midwest (for family, for work and for study) I feel compelled to share a few thoughts, having served the community in several ways in our nine years here. What I have come to love about New Canaan through my involvement with Rotary, League of Women Voters, the New Canaan Clergy Association and certainly in my role as the Community Initiative Director at Grace Farms Foundation, is the dedication and dynamism of the not-for-profit sector here in town. 

In our pursuit to define that somewhat nebulous term “community,” Sharon Prince and I have often remarked with appreciation how the strong cross-sector collaborations between municipal government and local non-profits, combined with amazing energy from active citizens, is what builds strong community. I delight in sharing with our leadership team all I have seen first hand that happens in town; whether at September 11 Memorial Events or at Rotary’s Lobsterfest, at Caffeine and Carburetors, in the Pop Up Park, at the Sidewalk Sale and Holiday Stroll, the (now) Annual Addiction Vigil, people coming together following the horror in Sandy Hook and deadly shootings in Las Vegas, and much more. This defines the essence of community- far more than just a lovely town to live in, commute from, and raise a family.

News

Letter: Grace Farms Opposes Proposed Cuts to Rail Service on New Canaan Branch

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To the Editor, NewCanaanite.com:

Grace Farms Foundation stands together with the town of New Canaan and with several of our community partners—the Glass House, The Chamber of Commerce and the New Canaan Nature Center, among others—in strong opposition to the decrease in rail service to New Canaan. Local commuters and visitors to New Canaan depend upon public transportation during the week as well as on weekends. Whether they come for a specific program, an architecture tour, or just to enjoy the beauty of the landscape, visitors who come to Grace Farms from New York City are also eager to explore the town and contribute significantly to its economic vibrancy. Though our site is a few miles from the center of town, our staff and visitors depend heavily on the Metro North spur line to New Canaan. Furthermore, Grace Farms has a demonstrated commitment to environmental sustainability, and this access to public transportation is vital to keeping traffic to a minimum.