The Animal Control section of the New Canaan Police Department issued five tickets to New Canaan residents for failure to license their dogs. Officers went door-to-door and notified dog owners who haven’t had their dogs licensed since July 1 by certified mail after phoning them multiple times. The ticket carries a $75 fee.
Fish Tales Seafood Co. at 53 East Ave. in New Canaan.
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Fish Tales Seafood Co. at 53 East Ave. is closed for approximately three weeks during an extensive renovation.
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New Canaan Boy Scouts Troop 70 will collect donations for its annual tag sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. next weekend, April 8 and 9, at the Lumberyard Lot downtown (opposite Karl Chevrolet).
Kelly DeFrancesco and April Kaynor. Contributed
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Two of William Raveis Real Estate’s top-producing agents, April Kaynor and Kelly DeFrancesco, have forged a partnership to serve homebuyers and sellers in New Canaan. With a combined volume of more than $42 million in real estate sales last year, the pair is featuring current New Canaan listings and client testimonials on its new website. “Kelly and I have been friends and trusted colleagues for years, so it was natural to roll our combined expertise into a partnership under the William Raveis umbrella,” Kaynor said.
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A federal judge after dismissing a New Canaan man’s lawsuit against the town said the plaintiff transmitted an email stating objections to the court’s order. The judge urged Michael Nowacki to file a motion for relief on the docket of this case “rather than communicating such complaint or objection by email or by telephone.” On Thursday, the official judgment was entered by the court in favor of Christian Gray, Daniel Gulino, Edward Nadriczny, James Cole, Jason Kim, Joseph Farenga, Kevin Casey, Leon Krolikowski, Louis Gannon, State of Connecticut, Thomas Swindon, Town of New Canaan and William Ferri.
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Pet Pantry, a locally owned business that operates a shop on Grove Street in New Canaan, earned a “Merchandising Excellence” award from Pet Business magazine.
Stephanie Izard
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Chicago-based celeb chef and all-around sweetheart Stephanie Izard grew up in Stamford and swam for years at the New Canaan YMCA as part of the U.S. Swimming program there. She recently gave an interview on competing on the TV show “The Iron Chef.”
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Norholt Drive in New Canaan is a contraction of the surnames of the developers, George Norrick and Harold Holt. It was laid out in 1953, historians say.
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Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County is launching an 8-week bereavement support group this spring to help adults cope with loss following the death of a parent. The group is to meet 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday evenings from April 11 to May 30, in Suite 114 at the Health & Wellness Center at 761 Main Ave. in Norwalk. It’s free and pre-registration is required by phoning VNHFC at 203-834-6341×255.
Trish Fontes
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Trish Fontes has joined the Bankwell team as Vice President, Treasury Management Sales Officer, according to David Dineen, Bankwell EVP and Head of Community Banking. She comes to Bankwell with a 20 year career in banking, most recently at Key Bank, where she managed multiple branches that were market leaders for both loans and deposits. In previous roles she was a Team Leader and has developed and implemented business development strategies to drive core deposits, including Bank at Work programs. She was also Chairperson of the Key Bank Employee Volunteer Council for Southwestern Connecticut. Trish will actively partner with members of the Bankwell team to grow Bankwell’s Treasury Management business with existing customers and develop new relationships.
From left to right Kevin Rusch, Partner, Competitive Edge College Advisors; Jennifer Richardson, Allison Mennitt, Steffi Loomis, NC Color Run Co-Chairs; Doug Richardson, Partner, Competitive Edge College Advisors
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The New Canaan High School Scholarship Foundation has announced that Competitive Edge College Advisors is sponsoring the purple station at the upcoming NC Color Run on April 29. NCSF is hosting the first ever NC Color Run in honor of its 50th anniversary. Students and adults of all ages will run/walk in either the Kids’ Color Dash, which is .8 miles for younger children, or the NC Color Run, 5K. Both events will be held at New Canaan High School and will feature color stations along the route.
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Finally, here’s an announcement from the South School PTC:
Play area at South School.
South School’s mission has been focused on improving the total student experience, and thanks to the generous donations of the South School parent community, this mission became a reality. How do you make an already wonderful school even better? You build a Friends With Friends Playground and phase in kinesthetic classroom furniture.
Helen Nishi, South School Physical Therapist and Special Education Team Member, led the charge to create a safe and welcoming place where children with special or different needs can play with classmates and peers. Whether it’s sensory, sensory overload, motor, safety or social skills, this playground is less overwhelming and offers them everything and more. The Friends With Friends Playground was installed two weeks ago, is the first of its kind in town and is open to children of all abilities and all grade levels. The new play structure includes a log roll, parallel bars, rock-n-ring panel, stand up see saw and a swing set. It’s a valuable addition and option when children need a safe, quiet environment to play and/or work on various skills.
Ms. Nishi was also a huge supporter of South School piloting and phasing in Kinesthetic Classrooms. “Children need movement in order for their brains and neurological systems to work properly,” Ms. Nishi said. She noted that children’s attention spans are decreasing further and further and movement is essential to increasing their attention and focus. Movement impacts our vestibular system, which has a huge role in our neurologic system development and maturity. When we move, receptors in our joints and muscles also activate and send signals to the brain saying “alert, alert, stay alert.”
This is South School’s phase in year for the Kinesthetic Classrooms. South has equipped the third and fourth grade classrooms with standing desks, wobble stools and ball chairs. These additions in the classroom allow students to move as they work as well as change positions. They plan to add additional equipment to these classrooms as well as add equipment to other grades. While children still need and will benefit from motor and movement breaks, developing Kinesthetic classrooms and equipping classrooms with differentiated furniture will have a valuable and positive effect in helping students perform at their best. Melissa Coffman and Kristen Grzymski, Co-Presidents of the South School PTC, said that “we are thrilled to be able to support the needs of our students and teachers through the generosity of our parent community.”
The funds to make both of these incredible projects possible were raised through the donations of the South School parent body. No town education budget was allotted or used. Joanne Rocco, South School Principal noted: “We are so grateful for Helen Nishi’s passion and leadership on these two initiatives and can’t thank the South School PTC enough for their support and kindness.”