Around Town

Did You Hear … ?

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New Canaan Police on Monday arrested a 42-year-old Bayport, N.Y. woman by warrant and charged her with first-degree failure to appear, criminal impersonation, third-degree identity theft and second-degree forgery. The warrant stems from a fraud investigation. According to Connecticut Judicial Branch records, the woman is facing more than 30 felony counts out of New Canaan, including for illegal possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle. ***

The New Canaan Land Trust’s firefly season kickoff party— “Fireflies Take Flight” — will be held 8 to 10 p.m. on Tuesday, June 24 at the Colhoun Preserve ($75). Tickets here.

Around Town

‘A Safe Place Where They Feel Supported’: New Canaan Dance Academy Preps for Nationals

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Achieving success in the competitive dance world is not easy. 

It takes years of relentless hard work and dedication; it takes 20-hour weeks of blood, sweat, and tears. Now, that might not sound enjoyable; when the end result of that work is dancing on stages at the highest levels in the nation, however, it may be worth it. “The New Canaan Dance Academy was always my second home and the people there were my second family,” NCHS senior Sasha Kotlyar, who started dancing at age three, said. “Being a part of the program was so special and is something I will never forget.”

Founded in 2001 by Elaine Young, the New Canaan Dance Academy (NCDA) has experienced significant growth in recent years and is preparing now to send its competitive program, known as the “company team,” to Dance Nationals on July 5. This will be NCDA’s second time sending their entire competitive program, consisting of about 75 girls, to Nationals, which will take place in Orlando.

Kelly Coughlin

New Canaan Police Take Part in Special Olympics ‘Law Enforcement Torch Run’

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New Canaan Police on Friday participated in a fundraising run for the Special Olympics. NCPD received the “Flame of Hope” from Stamford Police early on a sunny, hot morning at the “Pop Up Park” at South Avenue between Elm Street and Morse Court. The Law Enforcement Torch Run “is an incredible event that brings law enforcement together and connects them with the Special Olympics community,” Officer Kelly Coughlin said in an interview before NCPD’s leg of the run started. Launched in 1981, the “run” now sees more than 100,000 law enforcement officers, known to the event as “Guardians of the Flame,” participate. The “Flame of Hope” symbolizes courage and celebration of diversity, according to the Special Olympics website.

Around Town

Q&A: The Glass House ‘Summer Party’ Set for June 14

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The Glass House “Summer Party”—called “our town’s best party” by “Who Knew?” columnist Laura Ault—is scheduled for Saturday, June 14 (tickets and info here). We put some questions to the organization’s communications director, Christa Carr, about the party itself and its importance to The Glass House. Here’s our exchange. ***

New Canaanite: Talk to us about how your single annual fundraiser, the Summer Party, showcases the campus and its structures. 

Christa Carr: The Summer Party honoring legendary designer Gaetano Pesce is generously sponsored by Max Mara, with additional support from Design Within Reach and Land Rover Darien. This is truly a unique opportunity to experience The Glass House in a way that no standard tour can offer.

Around Town

‘An Incredible Experience’: Birding Expert Leads Tour of Bristow Park Sanctuary

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Frank Gallo crouched down and peered through the trees at Bristow Park on an overcast Friday morning, holding his strapped binoculars and wearing a hat that celebrates a biennial birding exploration he leads in Texas. “We’ve got action over here,” Gallo whispered to a group he led through the Old Stamford Road bird sanctuary, contiguous to Mead Park. To the naked eye, there’s nothing but plants, dirt, and rummaging chipmunks as an eerie silence engulfs the natural world, yet Gallo hears the calls of hundreds of birds. Suddenly, a repetitive shushing sound rang throughout the trees, not made by the birds but by Gallo. After several of his calls, the forest awakens: Birds swoop down, making their “tea-kettle-like” noises, as Gallo described.