NewCanaanite.com (https://newcanaanite.com/category/new-canaan-news)
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This week on 0684-Radi0, our free podcast (subscribe here in the iTunes Store), we talk to Lauren Sherwood, Saxe Intermediate School Theatre coordinator and director of “Alice In Wonderland Jr.,” coming to Saxe Nov. 6 and 7 (tickets here). Here are recent episodes of 0684-Radi0:
The closely monitored, temporary repaving of South Avenue will start next Tuesday and the state wants to wrap up by Halloween, officials say. Delayed and botched by the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s contractor, the repaving of South Avenue, which doubles as state Route 124, is part of Aquarion’s yearslong, protracted water main installation from eastern New Canaan to Farm Road and South Avenue. The contractor will “come and do a two-inch mill-and-fill” on South Avenue running south to Farm Road between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., according to Public Works Director Tiger Mann. “That’s the permit time,” Mann told the selectmen at their regular meeting, held Tuesday at Town Hall and via videoconference. “And they’ll come out here, mill it, and fill it on a day.
New Canaan Public Schools fifth- and eighth-graders performed “exceptionally well” this spring on state-mandated tests in English, math and science, district officials said this week. Reviewing the Next Generation Science Standards assessment or NGSS—an online test for students in grades 5, 8 and 11 that requires analysis of data, studying of patterns, examination of cause-and-effect and practical use of life, physical and earth-and-space sciences—Dr. Jill Correnty, deputy superintendent of schools, told the Board of Education that NCPS fifth-graders “were first in the DRG [district reference group] and first in the state with 88.6%” of students meeting or exceeding achievement levels. “And our eighth-graders were third in the DRG and third in the state by a very small percentage,” Correnty told the school board at its regular meeting, held Monday in the Wagner Room at New Canaan High School and via videoconference.
Here’s a chart reviewing the DRG comparison:
The update on NGSS came during Correnty’s grades three through eight assessment report to the Board of Ed. She reviewed the three state tests that 1,800-plus NCPS students enrolled in those grades who typically take the tests each year starting after April break, in five sessions. “State testing should not be the sole measure of our student achievement,” she said.
[Paul Payne is the New Canaan fire marshal.]
Halloween decorations, inflatable displays, animated figures, fog machines, and decorative lighting can make the holiday memorable. However, improper installation or use can create electrical hazards. Outdoor equipment may be exposed to rain and damp conditions, and cords across walkways can pose tripping risks for residents and trick-or-treaters. The New Canaan Fire Marshal’s Office urges residents to make electrical safety part of their Halloween plans.
Use GFCI Protection Outdoors
Ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protection helps reduce the risk of electrical shock by interrupting power when an imbalance is detected. Use GFCI-protected outlets or a properly rated GFCI cord set for outdoor decorations.
The Board of Selectmen at its most recent meeting approved the sale of composted leaf mulch to a New Canaan-based company at $9 per cubic yard. The figure is down from a high of $13 just three years ago, but still far higher than other bids that have come in in the recent past of $2 to $4 per cubic yard, according to Public Works Director Tiger Mann. “It’s time for us to empty the leaf mulch site,” Mann told the selectmen at their Oct. 6 meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference
He referred to the rows of mulch that the town creates in a cleared area off of Lapham Road, technically part of Waveny Park, after collecting leaves each fall. Until 2013, those seeking to pick up the soil used to collect it directly from the “mulch pile” at Waveny.