Letter to the Editor

NewCanaanite.com recently received the following letter to the editor. Send letters to editor@newcanaanite.com. ***
I am writing to ask every New Canaan resident, age 18 and over, to invest five minutes to complete the Community Health & Well-being Survey, open through, this Thursday, October 31st.  Consider taking the survey your ‘Good Deed’ for the day. Why would taking a survey constitute a Good Deed?  I’m glad you asked.  Your five minutes, coupled with your neighbors’ five minutes, your spouses’ five minutes, and many other five minutes will add up to anonymized data that will help shape the future of New Canaan’s health, mental health, and well-being resources. That data can help New Canaan unlock state and federal funding for vital local services.

Op-Ed: Help Us Bring Holiday Lights to New Canaan

We all know just how magical our town can be during the holidays, and we’re reaching out to invite you to play a pivotal role in preserving a beloved tradition. This year, we aim to raise $30,000 to fund the Holiday Lights that grace our downtown trees from Thanksgiving through early January. These beautiful lights, professionally installed, transform our town into a winter wonderland, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere during the darkest months of the year. The Holiday Lights are more than just decorations; they are a gift that New Canaanites give to each other. They foster a sense of togetherness and joy, reminding us of the beauty of our community spirit.

Op-Ed: Prevention vs. Rescue in New Canaan

Over the past three years, our surgeon general Vivek Murthy has outlined the perils of being socially isolated (worse than 15 cigarettes per day) and the pressures that disproportionately impact parents and caregivers raising children (increased loneliness, strains on finances and time, increased concerns about children’s health, safety, tech use and future success). Sometimes as New Canaanites, reports like this that may capture national trends resonate, and sometimes they don’t. We like to think our small town offers some immunity to these challenges, until we are reminded that we are not. 
I’m fortunate to serve on the Health and Human Services Commission in town and have the opportunity to consider how we allocate resources that most greatly align with the needs of those in our community. Generally speaking, we allocate funding to initiatives that lie on the spectrum from prevention to rescue. Our hope is that we fund resources in our community in a way that best addresses the needs our residents have.

Letter to the Editor

NewCanaanite.com recently received the following letter. Please send letters to editor@newcanaanite.com. 

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As small business owners, we are writing to alert the New Canaan community to an urgent Planning and Zoning Commission (“P&Z”) matter with broad implications for New Canaan’s downtown Village District. If approved on October 29th, a proposed mixed-use retail and residential development at 112 Main St. will set a precedent that holds the potential to forever change the beloved and unique village atmosphere of New Canaan.   
Before the vote happens, we urge concerned parties to email the Town Planner, Sarah Carey (sarah.carey@newcanaanct.gov), requesting P&Z to allow more time for the public to weigh in on the long-term impact that approval of this development will have on the priceless image, charm and defining character of New Canaan’s Magic Circle, as well as the devastating implications for local businesses and parking throughout downtown. The applicant’s proposal to P&Z is complex and requires a significant change to the regulations of Retail A Zone (i.e., the Village District of Elm & Main known as the “Magic Circle”), designation of the project as an historic preservation, and approval of two Special Permits.  Specifically, the applicant seeks:

An increase in the building’s height from two and a half stories to four.

Election 2024: Letters of Endorsement

NewCanaanite.com received the following letters of endorsement. No new endorsement letters will be published after Oct. 21. ***

I like to say that the Federal government determines how we are governed, while the state and local government determines how we live. While we are all focused on the national ticket, how you vote on the state and local ticket will have much more of an impact on how you live in New Canaan. 

The New Canaan Republican Town Committee supports candidates who believe in freedom of speech, freedom of thought, meritocracy and self-determination.