News

Podcast: New Canaan’s Betsy Magratten

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This week on 0684-Radi0, our free weekly podcast (subscribe here in the iTunes Store), we talk to Betsy Magratten, a New Canaan mom of two who, like many residents, is adjusting to life during the COVID-19 crisis. This week’s podcast is sponsored by Walter Stewart’s Market. Stewart’s has new hours, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. hour will be reserved for volunteers shopping for Seniors through Health & Human Services and Staying Put. If you are a senior or would like to arrange shopping for a senior, please call Health and Human Services today at 203- 594-3093.

Opinion

Letter: An Important Time To Support Waveny LifeCare Network

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A few days ago, Waveny LifeCare Network sent an appeal for donations to its donor community noting it has suspended all visitations, including its 400 volunteers, in order to protect its residents and staff. On receiving the appeal, I called Waveny to better understand the challenges it is facing. Waveny is a not for profit organization dependent on donations to close the gap between revenue from its programs and the costs of its operations. 

The first thing I learned is that the popular Adult Day Care program has been suspended. This is a day program for seniors who live at home that takes place at the Farm Road campus. Waveny cannot run the risk of program participants who might be infected coming into the facility.

News

Op-Ed: We Will Get Through This Together 

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Dear New Canaan friends and neighbors,

As a town and as a nation, we are now a month into the most challenging health emergency we have seen in our lifetimes. 

I would like to take a brief timeout to acknowledge and thank our local teams of professionals and volunteers who are working diligently and selflessly to protect and serve our town at this time of great turbulence and fear. First, our Emergency Management Director Mike Handler (a resident and long-time volunteer EMT) and our indomitable Health Director Jen Eielson are leading a team in our “virtual” Emergency Operations Center that is second to none. Mike is the “Voice of 7:00 pm” that is keeping you all informed and hopefully comforting you to know that our town is in good hands. Jen is working literally day and night to guide and direct us to healthy outcomes. I extend my heartfelt personal thanks to Mike and Jen for their leadership and dedication.

FY 2021 budget

Letter: Don’t Rush New Canaan’s Budget Vote

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Due to the corona virus pandemic, Connecticut’s governor recently issued guidelines that delay decision-making on our state’s 2020-21 budget by 30 days. 

On March 23, 2020 The Darien Times reported that Darien’s Board of Finance made the decision to delay its budget process by one month, taking advantage of the governor’s new guidelines. Darien’s Board of Finance will vote on that Town’s budget and set its important mill rate at its May 14 meeting. 

Darien’s mill rate will be officially set June 10, 2020 when Darien’s Representative Town Meeting votes. Legislative powers of the Town of Darien are vested in that Town’s RTM’ which, according to its website, is composed of 100 members representing the Town’s six districts. The original date for the RTM budget vote was May 11. Following our governor’s issued guidelines, the RTM vote was moved to June 10.

Opinion

Letter in Favor of Keeping 1913 Library Building 

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I am an ardent supporter of the library and its expansion effort. I am equally supportive of the preservation of our historic 1913 library building. But those objectives pale in comparison to the fiscal challenges New Canaan and America face by the pandemic that surrounds us. At this juncture I urge the town in the strongest terms to postpone any further funding consideration for the New Canaan Library development. Indeed please allow the consequences of this national emergency to settle before making any further additional fiscal commitments.