New Canaan Police at about 8:27 a.m. Sunday received a report that a wallet had been stolen from an unlocked vehicle on Strawberry Hill Road. At 6:37 a.m. Wednesday, an unlocked Land Rover Discovery Sport was reported stolen from a Whiteney Avenue home (later recovered in Bridgeport, though several items were missing).
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New Canaan’s Sperry DeCew, a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War, was honored Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. Photo courtesy of Jenny Esposito
Longtime town resident Sperry DeCew, a 1965 New Canaan High School graduate and combat veteran of the Vietnam War, was honored Tuesday at Yankee Stadium for his service, appearing on the jumbo screen in center field. A local attorney who served on the Police Commission for eight years, DeCew is secretary of the New Canaan Cemetery Association. He has served on the Town Council and Board of Selectmen, is a Getabout founder and has served in the past as president of New Canaan Library and on the New Canaan Historical Society Board of Governors and St. Mark’s Episcopal Church vestry. He also is a past member of the Silver Hill Hospital Board of Directors and Kiwanis Club of New Canaan.
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The New Canaan Building Department on May 24 issued an after-the-fact permit for interior work done at 57 Laurel Road. The homeowner had removed non-weight-bearing walls/closets between a bedroom a study, according to the permit. The homeowner paid a $95 fee for the work, it said.
Anna Zielinski. Contributed
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The New Canaan Nature Center announced this week that Anna Zielinski has been hired as preschool director, succeeding Marianne Kay in the job. She’s worked for 11 years at the Oenoke Ridge organization, including one year as interim director of the preschool. She holds a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education.
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Police at about 10:25 a.m. Tuesday responded to a report of a dead cat on the Merritt Parkway near Exit 37.
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The town spent $25,262.50 in legal fees in the Zoning Board of Appeals lawsuit decided against the municipality this month.
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Waveny LifeCare Network from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, June 18 will host an in-person, drive through “CarFit” event at The Inn (73 Oenoke Ridge). Sign up for an inspection of your vehicle by trained CarFit professionals who will take registrants through the 12-point checklist, recommending minor adjustments that help make cars “fit” better for optimal comfort and safety. Appointments are required, please email events@Waveny.org. More info here.
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An unregistered vehicle parked in the Richmond Hill Road Lot was “red tagged” by authorities at about 3:#6 p.m. on May 20, meaning it will be towed because it’s unregistered and is parked on a public highway or street.
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“Movie Under the Stars” nights will be held at Waveny at 8 p.m. on Friday, June 4 and Saturday, June 5. Attendees can watch “Crazy Stupid Love” the first night and “Ocean’s Eleven” the next. Hosted by the New Canaan Community Foundation and the New Canaan Moms Community Collective, the two-night event raises funds for local charities. Walter Stewart’s Market is bronze sponsor, NewCanaanite.com is a media sponsor. More info here.
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A wallet found at about 5:43 p.m. on May 20 was turned in at the Mobil Station downtown and then placed into property management at police headquarters.
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At about 5:22 p.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to Waveny near the platform tennis courts to investigate a report of a vandalized vehicle. After leaving it parked for about 80 minutes, the owner returned to find the rear passenger-side window smashed. At 5:37 p.m., the passenger-side window of a vehicle parked at New Canaan High School was reported smashed and a bag missing from the car.
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The town on May 23 issued a permit to build the 85-foot-high monopine cell tower at 183 Soundview Lane. It will include a five-foot top and, at its base, a stockade fence. The tower is one by Homeland Towers LLC, the permit said.
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About 30 seconds into the May 19 Police Commission meeting, An unmuted guest identified only as “Margaret” on their Zoom profile photo could be heard using profane language to describe a staffer in the first selectman’s office. Municipal officials removed that part of the meeting in posting a video recording of it to the town’s YouTube page.
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Absentee ballots for the June 2 referendum regarding the Board of Education‘s budget are now available from the Town Clerk. Voters may stop by the Town Clerk’s office, fill out an application and vote at the same time. The deadline to apply is June 1 and all absentee ballots must be returned to the Town Clerk by 8 p.m. on the night of the referendum. Because the governor recently extended an executive order, the ballot drop box also is now open for people’s convenience.
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Through the first four months of 2021, motor vehicle violations increased from 925 to 1,100 over the year-ago period, according to data released by Police Chief Leon Krolikowski at the Police Commission meeting. Traffic complaints are up from 55 to 82 in the same period, he said.
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On May 20, town and district officials met at the new access road running between the parking lot at Waveny’s “water tower” softball field and the southernmost New Canaan High School lot. The road is now called “Tiger Trail,” after Public Works Director Tiger Mann. First Selectman Kevin Moynihan and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bryan Luizzi “made a few remarks recognizing the hard work and dedication” of Mann, according to a press release out of Town Hall.
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Police at 10:29 p.m. on May 20 arrested a 32-year-old Locust Avenue woman after finding that the Massachusetts license plate on the car she was driving on Route 123 near Silvermine Road belonged to a different vehicle. The woman couldn’t produce a valid driver’s license during the traffic stop, and a subsequent computer check showed that the car she was driving wasn’t registered, police said. In addition to motor vehicle offenses, she was charged with two counts of failure to appear on paperless re-arrest warrants out of Danbury and the state police. According to Connecticut Judicial Branch records, the woman was arrested three years ago by Ridgefield Police and charged with simple trespass and failure to respond to an infraction. Yet another criminal arrest from 2019 has been statutorily sealed, records show.
Ponus Ridge Chapel, built ca. 1911. New Canaan Historical Society photo
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The restoration and renovation of the ca. 1911-built and previously neglected Ponus Ridge Chapel wrapped up last fall, owners Ainsley and Brendan Hayes said. Ted Sihpol of New Canaan-based Renaissance Partners LLC was general contractor on job. It’s been used as a guest house since its restoration and was on the New Canaan CARES “Hybrid Home Tour” earlier this week. “Since the chapel would otherwise be used less by us during summer, we decided to offer the chapel for rent during the summer only,” Brendan Hayes told NewCanaanite.com in an email when asked about the rental listing. “Neighbors and friends have stopped by to see the results of the chapel renovation and we’ve gotten really positive feedback.” The Hayeses became owners of the historic chapel in late-2018 following years of legal wrangling.
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Finally, police at about 9:55 a.m. on May 21 received a report of a motorist passing a stopped school bus at Smith Ridge Road and Wydendown Lane.
Tiger Trail is a nice way to sing the praises of Tiger Mann! He does SO much for the town and deserves the recognition! Thank you Tiger for all you and your team do!
Couldn’t agree more! Well deserved