Opinion

Op-Ed: Town of New Canaan FY 2026 Budget Update

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[Note: Todd Lavieri is chair of the Board of Finance.]
Last week, the New Canaan Board of Finance passed the FY 2025-2026 budget. This budget now goes to the Town Council for their review, and approval. When the Board of Finance received the budget from the Selectman’s office in January, we set three goals to accomplish with our review: one, to reduce the amount paid in taxation by $3 million; two, to reduce the total amount of capital expense by at least $3 million; and three, to reduce the amount of taxpayer supported capital expense by $1 million. Working collaboratively with each department, we accomplished all three goals. We reduced the amount raised by taxation by $4.1 million, we cut the capital expense by $4.8 million, and we reduced the taxpayer supported capital (not bonded), by $1.2 million.

Who Knew: Making Moves on Main Street

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‘Who Knew?’ is sponsored by Walter Stewart’s Market. * * *

At the storied Roseland Ballroom in New York City, a wall of plaques used to bear the names of the 700-plus married couples who first met on the institution’s dance floor. It boggles the mind that there was a time when people made each others’ acquaintance doing the rumba–it seems wildly vulnerable to commit to an entire song’s worth of eye contact with a stranger, not to mention quite sophisticated for two adult human beings to have memorized a series of complicated things to do with their feet whilst exchanging origin stories. Nowadays, if the internet is to be believed, kids just DM each other photos of their bathing suit regions and then, presumably, go to Sweetgreen. In real life, though, dance is community.

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Op-Ed: Women’s Day 2025, Embracing Our Power Despite the Headwinds 

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[New Canaan’s Sheri West is the founder and CEO of LiveGirl and author of “Confidence Unleashed.”]

This isn’t just about equality—it’s about excellence. 

As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2025, I find myself reflecting on the mission of gender parity with both hope and concern. The path forward has significant challenges, and this moment calls for renewed determination and focus on what we can control. 

The DEI and gender parity headwinds are strong and feel overwhelming. That’s precisely why now, more than ever, we must focus on aspects within our control. I’ve met many distraught women over the past several weeks, filled with anxiety in the current environment, and I say again, Now is the time to ensure that you are sitting firmly in the driver’s seat, investing in yourself, and owning your career. 
“This is not the moment to shrink, retreat, or waste energy justifying why we belong at the table. Instead, it’s the time to push forward more boldly, more visibly, and with even greater conviction in the value we bring.” —Dr. Margie Warrell, Author of ‘The Courage Gap’ 
Take a moment to reflect.

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Letter to the Editor

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NewCanaanite.com recently received the following letter to the editor. Send letters to editor@newcanaanite.com to have them published here. ***
Dear Editor:
I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to our many community partners who assisted with the recent gas main incident at the Y. Thank you to the New Canaan Fire Department, Fire Chief Albert Bassett, New Canaan Police Department, New Canaan’s Emergency Management Director Russ Kimes, C.E.R.T., and the entire Saxe Middle School administration and staff. Each of these organizations and individuals responded quickly and maintained a safe environment for all while the incident was addressed and resolved. Additionally, I would like to thank our members—those who were at the Y facility, for their cooperation in an efficient evacuation, those who stepped in to assist staff with evacuation, and those whose routines were disrupted by the Y’s closure. Finally, my heartfelt gratitude, appreciation, and respect for the New Canaan YMCA staff, whose dedication to supporting our members is evident every day, but is exemplified in moments like this. They followed protocols and training impeccably, ensuring a smooth and safe evacuation for our members.

Opinion

Podcast: Waveny LifeCare Network’s ‘Navigator Adult Day Program’

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This week on 0684-Radi0, our free podcast (subscribe here in the iTunes Store), we talk to Kathleen Benevento, executive director of Navigation at Waveny LifeCare Network. The organization’s Navigator Alzheimer’s and Dementia at Home Initiative helps caregivers who are supporting loved ones with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Now, the Navigator Adult Day Program offers a supportive environment for individuals with Alzheimer’s or dementia while providing a daytime respite for caregivers. For more information, call Waveny’s dedicated Navigator line at 203-594-5289 or email navigator@waveny.org. 

Here are recent episodes of 0684-Radi0: