Emergency Management Director Mike Handler said Thursday in a town-wide call that New Canaan now has 63 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 and that seven residents have succumbed to the virus. In a press release, Waveny LifeCare Network officials noted that despite taking several preventative steps, 10 individuals associated with the organization have tested positive for COVID-19. “These include three healthcare staff members and seven patients/residents,” the press release said. “Three of those patients/residents have passed, and four are currently under care at local hospitals. We remain in contact with medical professionals and families and we hope that those hospitalized will recover and return home to Waveny soon. The three healthcare staff members are recuperating at home.”
***
Due to the emergency, this year’s “Clean Your Mile” initiative, planned for later this month, has been canceled, Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Director Kathleen Holland announced.
***
New Canaan Police at 10:36 p.m. on March 28 cited a 23-year-old Main Street man on marijuana-related offenses after investigating a report of a suspicious vehicle at Woodland Place and Elm Place.
***
Karl Chevy is now offering 20% off labor for service work on all makes and models.
***
Rob Fryer has joined New Canaan’s Audit Committee, according to a meeting agenda.
***
The New Canaan Community Foundation announced this week that a total of $65,000 has been awarded in a first round of grants through its COVID-19 Response Fund, as follows: Waveny LifeCare Network ($15,000), Visiting Nurse and Hospice of Fairfield County ($15,000), Person-to-Person ($25,000) and Food Rescue US ($10,000).
***
New Canaan High School’s popular annual Senior Internship Program, which sees 12th-graders spend about one month working in a local business or organization prior to graduation, has been canceled for this year.
***
Grace Farms Foundation on Thursday announced creation of the Grace Farms Relief Fund for Connecticut, established with private donations totaling $2.5 million, to help address the critical shortage of personal protective equipment or “PPE’ for healthcare workers in Fairfield and New Haven Counties. In a press release, New Canaan resident and St. Vincent’s Medical Center anesthesiologist Dr. Theresa Bowling said, “We are grateful to Grace Farms Foundation for addressing the PPE shortage and providing critical medical supplies to our doctors, nurses and patients as we fight COVID-19.”
***
A March 10, 2020 commendation letter from Fred and Betsy Afragola, addressed to New Canaan Police Officers Erin McCarthy and Brian Connolly says: “We want to thank you for quickly coming to check our house when the neighbor called to say our front door was open. Please enjoy lunch at Tony’s on us.”
***
Summer Theatre of New Canaan and “your favorite restaurant” are presenting “New Canaan Dinner & A Show Night” April 9 to 12. New Canaan residents may watch Channel 79 or view the stream online at http://stonc.org or http://nctv.org. “To go along with the evening, many New Canaan restaurants will feature take out dinners to be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home prior to or during the show,” organizers say.
***
Finally, New Canaan-based attorney Matthew Maddox at 1 p.m. Saturday is hosting a Zoom conference titled “Unraveling the Paycheck Protection Plan, Economic Injury Disaster Loans and What’s Next.” It will cover paycheck protection plan rules, new banking protocols and the small business legal landscape. Email maddoxteam@mmaddoxlaw.com to confirm your attendance and receive Zoom conference credentials.