Saying his tenant hadn’t paid rent since November, the owner of a 7,000-square-foot home on Juniper Road has filed for eviction in state Superior Court. According to a complaint filed Tuesday, the tenants had agreed starting June 1, 2015, to pay $8,800 the first year, $9,000 the second and $9,200 the third year of a lease that would run to July 2018. The plaintiff brought a Notice to Quit Possession on May 8, according to the complaint, though the tenants still occupied the property on May 13.
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The arraignment for the New Canaan man arrested last month for interfering with an emergency call has been continued to June 9, according to Connecticut Judicial Branch records. His son also is to be arraigned, now on June 29. Both men originally had been scheduled to appear this week, and News 12 had cameras inside and outside the courtroom on Wednesday, hoping for footage not to be had.
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We’re hearing there may be even more Republicans making bids for first selectman and selectman of New Canaan in the coming days and weeks. The GOP caucus is scheduled for July 18.
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Emily and Tom Nissley awarded the Preservation Leadership Award by NCPA Vice President Rose Scott Long. Contributed
The New Canaan Preservation Alliance on May 21 recognized local property owners for their achievements in historic preservation of architecture in town:
- The “Preservation Leadership Award” went to Emily and Tom Nissley for stepping in to save the Hoyt-Burwell-Morse House at 8 Ferris Hill Road (attendees were treated to a presentation from Charlotte Hitchcock, who wrote the successful nomination to the National Register of Historic Places for the ca. 1737-built home);
- A Rehabilitation Award went to Ainsley and Brendan Hayes for 394 Ponus Ridge;
- A Rehabilitation Award went to Luanne and Ron Balzano for 52 Hoyt St.;
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State Sen. Toni Boucher reviews the state of preservation in the State of Connecticut with Mimi Findlay of the NCPA.
A Rehabilitation Award went to Terina and Steven Gaal for 104 and 112 Locust Ave.;
- A Preservation Award went to Joan K. Gallagher and Mr. & Mrs. Brian Lynn for 210 Main St.; and
- A Preservation Award went to the town’s Department of Public Works for repairs at the Carriage Barn and Lapham Center in Waveny (First Selectman Rob Mallozzi accepted them on the town’s behalf).
Rich Riley and Jamie Foxx on the Beat Shazam set in LA. Credit: Rich Riley
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More good news for New Canaanite Rich Riley, CEO of Shazam and co-producer with Jamie Foxx and Mark Burnett of “Beat Shazam,” a new game show centered on the “Name That Tune” type mobile app: It was network TV’s Number 1 Thursday night show during its debut for the coveted 18- to 49-year-old demographic.
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NCHS Governor’s Scholar Caroline Callahan, joined by Principal William Egan (R) and her guidance counselor Mr. Willett (L). Contributed
Congratulations to NCHS Governor’s Scholar Caroline Callahan, who was joined by her family, Principal William Egan and her guidance counselor Mr. Willett at the Aqua Turf Club on Thursday, May 22, 2017. The Governor’s Scholars Program recognizes academically talented high school students in schools throughout the state. Principals of CAS member high schools are given the opportunity to nominate one junior who ranks in the top five percent of his or her class. Those members of the Governor’s Scholars Committee who are professional educators from Connecticut judge the completed applications and assign a composite score to each student’s PSAT or SAT score and the student essay. A select group of the top students are selected as “Governor’s Scholars” and received recognition. This year, 30 scholars were selected from a pool of 149 candidates from across Connecticut.
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Finally, here are additional newsworthy items from around New Canaan:
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Photo: Rachel with Marketing & Social Media Associate Lucy French NCHS Senior Rachel Annulli is part of the senior intern program at NCHS and is spending her time learning about different areas of banking at Bankwell. Working primarily in the marketing department, Rachel has also spent time in deposit operations, finance, accounting, on the retail floor and in ebanking.
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The Rotary Club of New Canaan’s President John Engel and Grant Awards Chair Amy Wilkinson welcomed staff and volunteers from 28 local organizations to their Grant Awards luncheon on May 18. We were also joined by Alvaro Riquelme, front row left, our Exchange Student from Chile.
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L-R: Nancy LaPerla Bemis, U.S. Rep Jim HImes and John Bemis. Stamford-based technology recruiting firm, Benchmark IT, was one of 55 companies from across the country to participate in the 17th annual TechServe Alliance Legislative Conference held in Washington D.C. on May 23-24. New Canaan resident John Bemis is president and founder of Benchmark IT and also an active member of the trade organization which is devoted to representing the interests of U.S.-based IT staffing, Engineering, and solutions firms. “We met with the offices of U.S. Senators Blumenthal and Murphy (D-CT), Senate Minority Leader, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Representative Jim Himes (D-CT 4th District) with a two-fold purpose,” explained Bemis. “The first was to demonstrate the urgent need for Congress to support not only K-12 STEM education, but also to increase access and support at technical schools, community colleges and universities with the goal of producing “work-ready” graduates.” According to code.org, there were approximately 43,000 computer science graduates nationally in 2016 along with thousands of qualified developers graduating from coding “boot camps” and certificate programs. However this comes nowhere close to filling the more than 500,000 open IT development jobs available in the U.S. annually. According to CareerBuilder.com, the ratio of open jobs in Connecticut vs. available tech talent for hot jobs like web and app developers is a staggering 6:1. “This along with proposed restrictions in the H-1B visa program present a potential ‘perfect storm’ that could impact U.S.-led technology development for decades,” continued Bemis. “While increasing STEM education is a necessary part of the long-term solution, it’s critical that our industry has continued access to foreign H-1B visa talent in the near-term. Otherwise, U.S. businesses may well ship their entire IT operations off-shore, leading to fewer U.S. jobs-- the direct opposite of what the proposed legislation intends to prevent.” The H-1B visa program is a long-debated program that’s not without controversy. A March 2017 “60 Minutes” segment detailed abuses within the program, which have contributed to its scrutiny. “Unfortunately, some bad actors have made a tenuous situation even worse,” remarked Bemis. “There are some good aspects of the proposed legislation that call for integrity and transparency within the program. We’re all for that. The bottom line is that mid-market, Connecticut-based companies need access to this talent in order to keep and grow local jobs. That’s our primary mission.” To that end, Benchmark IT does outreach to support STEM education locally. For the past two years, Bemis has presented at the NCHS Career Night, promoting the benefits and possibilities of STEM careers to local students. This year, Benchmark IT sponsored its first NCHS senior intern, Peter Windas, who aims to pursue a career in technology at the University of Maryland in September. Additionally, the firm has formed an alliance with Sacred Heart University who acquired the former GE Corporate Campus in Fairfield, CT to house its growing School of Computing. Benchmark IT provides its local job listings to current and future graduates and talks are underway to play a larger role by providing internships, mentoring and career development services to its undergraduate and graduate level students and alumni. “This is a fluid situation, and one we intend to follow and advocate closely,” commented Bemis. “Changes within the current H1-B lottery system, some legislated and some fueled by immigration uncertainty, as well as drastic education cuts in the latest 2018 budget proposal, are seemingly at odds with the stated bi-partisan goal of preserving and growing U.S. technological innovation and jobs.”
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Congratulations to the 2007 (U10) New Canaan Girls Black team which won the Newtown Memorial Day Tournament last weekend with four straight wins. The team is coached by Darren Gourlay.
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PHOTO: Nick Aysseh and fellow technician help to ensure safety of New Canaan families and their children by evaluating their car seat’s safety. INFO: Toddlertime Nursery School hosted a free car seat check open to the public at the New Canaan Historical Society on Friday May 19th. Planned in conjunction with the injury prevention, community outreach and research department at the Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital. The children’s hospital coordinated a team of technicians comprised of lead technician and instructor Nick Aysseh and police officers from New Canaan, Wilton, Darien and surrounding towns.