Did You Hear … ?

New Canaan Police at 1:50 p.m. 3:50 p.m. Monday received a report of a bike stolen from the area of Main Street and Locust Avenue.

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The Parking Commission on Wednesday unanimously elected Jennifer Donovan as chair.

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The youth groups of First Presbyterian Church of New Canaan are holding a “Souper Bowl of Caring” lunch at 11:30 a.m. Sunday and invite the community to attend and/or donate.

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Conservation Commission Chair Chris Schipper spotted the frost-lined heart-shaped puddle pictured here in Bristow Park on Wednesday walking along the main GreenLink trail. “A little in advance of Valentine’s Day, Mother Nature finds a way to say ‘I love you,’ ” Schipper said.

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New Canaan Health Director Jenn Eielson during an update on vaccine clinics Thursday before the Health & Human Services Commission said, “I’d like to thank Anna Krolikowski and Jenny Esposito, because I couldn’t have done it the last three years without them. They really did a lot of work for us—not only with testing but the vaccine clinics, too.” (The town’s testing in the future will be held at Vine Cottage and no longer at Irwin House, Eielson said.)

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We’re rooting for the Kansas City Chiefs, whose roster includes second-year offensive lineman Lucas Niang, a 2016 New Canaan High School graduate, in the Feb. 12 Super Bowl.

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The New Canaan Building Department on Tuesday issued an after-the-fact permit for $49,920 worth of work to install a home theater in a 2008-built, 9,000-square-foot home at 1385 Smith Ridge Road. The work included soundproofing, building a seating platform and bar counter and installing speaker boxes. “Kindly note that all the above work was done without obtaining the necessary permits,” the permit said. “This means that all required inspections during construction were not performed.”

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The Stamford Therapeutic Consortium is running a Lyme Disease vaccine study for kids and teens. Those interested in learning more and applying to participate in the study can find more information here.

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Police at 10:51 Monday responded to a report of a dispute at a restaurant at 10 Forest St. in New Canaan, records show. That’s the street address of Gates. No action was taken by police.

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Tuesday marked the nine-year anniversary of NewCanaanite.com’s launch.

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New Canaan-based dil figaro has partnered with Halo Fitness on Grove Street to create a “personalized wellness solution” for clients. “With the delivery of dietician-approved customized meals and training with a personal fitness coach, we provide a holistic approach to ensure you achieve your health goals,” according to dil figaro’s website. More information here.

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Police are investigating the theft of mail from a Lambert Road home and a check later fraudulently cashed, reported at 1:50 p.m. on Jan. 26. They have no suspects at this time.

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Former New Canaan Advertiser reporter Rich Durazzo, Jr. and his production company, Rich Not Wealthy Productions LLC, are producing a thriller film loosely based on the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal. They are knee-deep in a Kickstarter campaign for development funds. The company recently hired Moving Pictures Media Group to co-develop and co-produce Durazzo’s screenplay “All Bets Are Off.” He said in a press release, “This film highlights a sports scandal’s ripple effect on society. Baseball and betting are just the backdrops of this film. It mostly deals with grief, greed, mental health, addiction, parenting, and adoption.”

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The town’s insurer—CIRMA, the Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Agency—has awarded New Canaan its “2023 Excellence in Risk Management Award.” The town has seen “a 72% decrease in workers’ compensation claim severity over the last four years,” according to the CIRMA citation.

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The Town Players of New Canaan presents “Ordinary People,” showing Feb. 17 to March 5 at the Powerhouse Theatre in Waveny. Ticket info here.

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Spotlight on a free local event: “So Many Decisions So Little Time, Empowering You and Your Family – Resources to Smooth the Path in Preparation for the End of Life Journey” will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 9 at Wilton Library. More information here. 

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Here are more events worth checking out (add your event to the Community Calendar here and we’ll share it with fellow residents):

• Men’s Club to Hear Outlook for Battery-Powered Vehicles (February 3 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am)
• 43rd Annual Photography Show At The Carriage Barn (February 4 @ 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm)
• Free Orchestra Lumos Community Concert at the Carriage Barn Arts Center (February 5 @ 11:00 am – 11:45 am)
• Book Talk: Who Are You And What Have You Done With My Kid? By Amanda Craig, PhD, LMFT (February 9 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm)

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Dr. Steve Zatz has joined the board of the Waveny Park Conservancy. He’s chairman and CEO of Remedy Health Media and a director of Prognos Health. Zatz received his undergraduate degree from Yale College, then graduated from Cornell University Medical College and completed his internal medicine residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

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Congratulations to eight New Canaan High School students on receiving 2023 Connecticut Regional Scholastic Awards, given to top-performing students for exemplary work in the field of art. Winning artwork from the NCHS award recipients includes: 

• “The Light of Life” by Alice Hanson, Photography Category, Gold Key Winner. 
• “St. Patrick’s Cathedral” by Kailey Marti, Printmaking Category, Gold Key Winner. 
• “Rosary” by Josef Gashi, Photography Category, Silver Key Winner. 
• “Tinted Faces” by Trey Walker, Photography Category, Silver Key Winner.
• “Hospital’s Ball Machine” by Kailey Marti, Painting Category, Gold Key Winner.
• “Grandmother Beatriz” by Anna Cuesta, Drawing and Illustration Category, Silver Key Winner. 
• “Tier 1 – Limbo” by Alexandra Gelvin, Drawing and Illustration Category, Honorable Mention. 
• “School Stress” by Amy Meng, Drawing and Illustration Category, Silver Key Winner. 
• “Jar Still Life” by Anna Cuesta, Drawing and Illustration Category, Silver Key Winner 
• “Finding the Light” by Anne Gilliam, Drawing and Illustration Category, Silver Key Winner

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Pigmenta Permanent Cosmetics at 64R Main St (first floor) is inviting the community to a grand opening and ribbon cutting event at 3:30 p.m, on Saturday, Feb. 11.

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Finally, here’s a message from New Canaan Conservation Commissioners Linda Andros, John Fusek, Chris Schipper, Ann Silvio and Susan Sweitzer:

“Be a Good Quiet Neighbor—Gas-powered leaf blowers are loud and unhealthy. The noise and toxic fuel emissions contribute to hearing loss and lung disease. GLBs are detrimental to our health, disruptive to the environment, and bad for wildlife, habitats and biodiversity. Please consider switching to electric land care equipment. For helpful information, go to http://NewCanaan.Info and search ‘Conservation Commission’; http://PlanetNewCanaan.org; and http://QuietCommunities.org. Good Conservation Habits:

• Commune with Nature in Your Yard—Plant native trees, bushes and wildflowers
• Think Less Lawn, More Meadow—Try ‘no mow May’ (and June and July…)
• Go Land Care Electric—For quieter and healthier neighborhoods
• Install Yellow Outdoor Lights—Better for birds
• Put a Bell Collar on Your Outdoor Cat
• Learn to Identify 15 Bird Species—They’re wonderful
• Maintain a Bird Bath and Seasonal Bird Feeders
• Drivers, Slow Down—Give way to walkers and bikers
• Enjoy Scenic New Canaan—Walk in our woods, parks and preserves
• Get to Know Your Neighbors—New Canaan is a wonderful town
• Watch Your Downstream Effects—Be frugal with insecticides and fertilizers 
• Support Your Local Conservation Organizations—Volunteer, advocate, donate.”