Government

Town on Notice of Lawsuit After Pipe Bursts in Local Home

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[The NewCanaanite.com Summer Internship Program is sponsored by Karp Associates.]

Municipal officials recently received notice that a man intends to sue the town after a pipe froze and exploded in his home this winter, causing extensive damage, documents show. On Jan. 3, a water loss incident occurred at the home of Oleg Williamson, located at 41 Thrush Lane, according to a Notice of Intent To Sue filed on behalf of Cincinnati Insurance Company, by attorney Melisa E. Iozzi of New York-based Stutman Law. The damage will cost Williamson $230,272.54, it said. The pipe explosion took place because “Hoffman Energy drilled holes in an exterior wall of Williamson’s home to install a new propane line,” the Notice said.

Arbender Robinson

‘They’re Doing Beautiful Work’: STONC’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ Opens July 12

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[The NewCanaanite.com Summer Internship Program is sponsored by Karp Associates.]

A professional theater troupe based in New Canaan has selected a Disney classic for its summer musical, and landed an experienced director to oversee the production. From July 12 to 27, the Summer Theatre of New Canaan will perform “The Little Mermaid” at the New Canaan High School auditorium. 

Based on the popular movies, the show will have an added family dynamic element while incorporating the music and aspects of the original that people loved, according to director Arbender Robinson, a member of the original Broadway cast. The casting for “The Little Mermaid” was not a simple process, he said. “It wasn’t easy because we had amazing local talent come out in Connecticut,” Robinson said. “We had more people come to audition than we expected, so trying to navigate and get through all those auditions was difficult.”

Robinson said he paid attention to how well cast members interacted. 

“The thing that we sometimes forget when it comes to casting is that we’re not only making decisions based on talent, but we’re also casting based on how the actors work together,” he said.

Beth Jones

Lakeview Cemetery Plants Pollinator Garden at Main Street Entrance

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[The NewCanaanite.com Summer Internship Program is sponsored by Karp Associates.]

A pollinator garden, an extension of existing “pathways” around New Canaan that help bees and butterflies, was planted last week at Lakeview Cemetery. Created in memory of Bailey Stewart, former president of the Board of Directors of the 1867-founded cemetery, the new garden is located by the Lakeview Cemetery entrance on Main Street. “He passed away and we all loved him dearly,” said master gardener Beth Jones, a member of the cemetery board. “It was Stewarts’ idea when they first started the pollinator gardens to do one here, so we decided to do it in memory of him because he was such a big part of it.”

The garden consists of nepeta flowers, autumn fire sedums, and black-eyed Susans, Jones said. More than just decorative, the garden helps the environment by feeding pollinators such as bees, hummingbirds, butterflies and other insects, she said.

Homepage Featured

‘An Exceptional Level of Commitment’: NCPD Honors Officers, Citizens

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[The NewCanaanite.com Summer Internship Program is sponsored by Karp Associates.]

The New Canaan Police Department honored 12 officers, two sergeants and two lieutenants in an awards ceremony, held Thursday morning inside the agency’s newly renovated headquarters. Town residents who helped in some incidents were also presented with awards. 

The Police Department gave out seven awards in total, including Unit Citation awards, Firearm Proficiency awards, Physical Fitness awards, Medical Awards, Meritorious Duty awards, the Civilian Award of Excellence, and the prestigious Stephen W. Wood Officer of the Year Award. 

Lt. Jason Ferraro, Sgt. Thomas Callinan and Officers Jeffrey Pollock, Matthew Marzano, Robert Rizzitelli, Annamaria Ceci, Nicholas Rienzi and Mairee Castro were presented the Unit Citation awards, Police Chief John DiFederico said at the awards ceremony, held in the training room at NCPD. 

“I am pleased to acknowledge your exceptional work and efforts during the 3-11 shift on May 24, 2024,” he said. 

DiFederico referred to three incidents where the team aided a male who was going through a mental health crisis, dealt with a juvenile who threatened to harm another and handled a sensitive domestic incident with professionalism and care. 

“Your performance was a testament to your dedication to duty, your capability to work seamlessly as part of a team and your adept application of tactical training in real world scenarios,” the chief said. The department holds award ceremonies periodically for officers doing outstanding work. On Thursday, those in attendance included the families of those receiving awards, several police officers and First Selectman Dionna Carlson and Police Commission Chair Paul Foley.

Andrea Lombardi

‘We Are Really Grateful’: Lombardi’s Italian Restaurant To Open Next Week

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[The NewCanaanite.com Summer Internship Program is sponsored by Karp Associates.]

After months of anticipation, the owners of Dolce Café are opening a new authentic Italian restaurant on Elm Street. 

Lombardi’s Ristorante & Bar at 32 Elm St. (it has doors facing both Elm and Morse Court)—named for brothers Andrea and Daniel Lombardi, born and raised in Ischia, Italy—will open to the public next week, following a series of “soft-opening” invite-only dinners that started this Wednesday. “We are really grateful for the community,” Andrea Lombardi told NewCanaanite.com from inside the new restaurant on Wednesday afternoon. “Otherwise, we wouldn’t be opening up.”

The food will be entirely Italian, with a modern twist, according to Andrea Lombardi, who will be working primarily in the kitchen, while his brother runs front-of-house/bar. “We want to keep our food traditional, but we also want to give it a little touch of modernity,” he said.