New Canaan Police are investigating the theft of clothing from Splash of Pink on Elm Street, reported to authorities at 12:06 p.m. on Nov. 2.
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Congratulations to Robin Carroll—director of design and residential construction at New Canaan-based Karp Associates on winning the “Woman of the Year” award from the Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Fairfield County. Carroll will receive the award at a dinner to be held Dec. 6 at Rolling Hills Country Club in Wilton.
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The Town Council this week elected Mike Mauro as chair, Cristina A. Ross as vice chair-secretary and Hilary Ormond as vice chair-finance.
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Hats off to the NCHS Varsity Field Hockey Team, which defeated Guilford 6-2 in the state semifinals on Tuesday, and will play Daniel Hand at Weathersfield High School at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in the final.
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ABC New Canaan announced this week that Manfredi Jewels on Elm Street has become the organization’s first-ever Transforming Lives Sponsor. ABC Executive Director Jamie Boris said in a statement, “Manfredi’s commitment and generous contribution will enable us to continue our program and provide even more life-changing experiences for our scholars. Their partnership with ABC New Canaan goes well beyond financial support as the owners, Roberta and Roberto Chiappelloni, and the entire Manfredi team actively support us and further our mission. ABC New Canaan is honored to work with such a dedicated and committed partner as Manfredi Jewels.” The Chiappellonis said in a statement that they’re “proud” to become the first-ever Transforming Lives sponsor and that the ABC scholars at New Canaan High School “will benefit not only from the outstanding academics offered but also from athletic, artistic, social, and other opportunities they would not have had access to otherwise.” ABC is funded 100% by the generosity of the New Canaan community—more info here.
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Middlebury’s Field Hockey team inched closer to completing its quest for a sixth-straight national championship as the top-ranked Panthers notched a 3-0 shutout over #5 Messiah during Sunday’s NCAA Regional Final. Freshman Shawna Ferraro of New Canaan is a forward on the team, having appeared in 13 games this season for the Panthers. With the victory, Middlebury earned its 14th trip to the final four. The Panthers will play Babson on Friday in the National semifinals at 3 p.m.
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First Selectman Kevin Moynihan during Tuesday’s Board of Finance meeting said that work on The Playhouse “is in motion” and that although the new ADA-compliant bathrooms at Waveny House are done that there’s “no need to open” them until the building has an elevator.
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Board of Finance Chair Todd Lavieri said to Moynihan during the same meeting, by way of expressing gratitude to the three-term first selectman: “We underspent our budgets by $9 million over the last six years and the revenues came in $15 million over. So that’s a net $24 million to the good that went to the taxpayers and a lot of the savings side was on you for all the work you did with the town and all the various initiatives that you had.”
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Registration for the New Canaan YMCA’s winter session opened this week—details on new programs for kids, teens and adults here.
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Catch the third and final show of NCHS Theatre’s production of the musical “Mean Girls,” to be held at 7 p.m. Friday in the high school auditorium. Tickets here.
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Congrats to New Canaan’s Tommy Augustine who signed a Letter of Intent to play lacrosse at the University of Michigan. Tommy is a member of the Deerfield Academy class of 2024 and the son of Marnie and Mark Augustine.
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Here’s the new “Wine Minute” from Franco’s Wine Merchants on Elm Street:
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Police are investigating a report of a laptop stolen from the New Canaan Y, reported at 8:37 p.m. on Nov. 9.
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The NC Color Drop, a major fundraising effort from the NCHS Scholarship Foundation, will be held March 23, 2024. The 2,000 golf balls that will be dropped by one of HeliNY’s helicopters at Waveny will be available for online purchase starting Nov. 23. The top prize, a black 2024 Chevy Colorado, will be parked at Dunning Stadium during the Turkey Bowl next week, as well as at the Holiday Stroll on Dec. 1 and 2.
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Congratulations to the New Canaan Finance Department: The town this week received a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association for its fiscal year 2022 comprehensive financial report. The report was judged to demonstrate a constructive “spirit of full disclosure,” according to a citation. Town CFO Anne Kelly-Lenz and Comptroller Diane Wilson received individual certificates for their work on the report. “The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management,” town officials said in a press release.
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New Canaan Public Schools is hiring tutors for homebound students K-12, details here.
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Some great live entertainment coming soon:
- Town Players of New Canaan presents “A Christmas Story”—Dec. 1 to 17 at the Powerhouse Theatre in Waveny;
- Rodgers & Hammerstein’s 80th anniversary concert with stars of Summer Theatre of New Canaan—3 p.m. on Dec. 3 at the Conservatory Stage Theatre on Pine Street;
- Norwalk Symphony’s “Holiday Pops!”—3 to 5 p.m. on Dec. 3 at the Norwalk Concert Hall;
- New Canaan Chamber Music presents “Anticipate the Unexpected: The Barbican Quartet”—3 p.m. on Dec. 7 and 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 8 at First Presbyterian Church of New Canaan.
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Police at 1:02 p.m. on Nov. 10 received a report from an Elm Street business about a check that had been stolen and then fraudulently cashed. The investigation is ongoing.
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The Carriage Barn Arts Center’s annual “Deck the Halls” kicks off next weekend and includes the annual small works exhibit, wreath auction and art benefit for the organization. The gallery opens on “Artists Sunday,” Nov. 26 and runs through December 10. The “Off the Wall” art benefit and holiday party will be held 6 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 29. Bidding on the wreaths online through December 2 at Noon.
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The New Canaan Community Foundation’s Annual Appeal is underway.
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This year’s “Holiday House Tour,” presented by the Newcomers Club of New Canaan, will feature a “Deck Your Halls” kickoff party from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 30 at Carriage Barn Arts Center, and the hugely popular tour itself, set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 1 and Saturday, Dec. 2. Proceeds from the Tour benefit local charities. More details and tickets here.
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Canaan Parish, the recently completed affordable housing redevelopment on Lakeview Avenue, on Wednesday received two state-wide awards. A joint effort of New Canaan Neighborhoods Inc. and the New Canaan Housing Authority, the redevelopment earned Best Affordable Community and Best Public-Private Partnership Development in Connecticut from the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Connecticut, whose Home Builder Industry Awards or “HOBIs” are “the most prestigious in the state for residential construction,” NCHA officials say. Housing Authority Chair Scott Hobbs said in a statement, “We are pleased that HBRA has recognized Canaan Parish for the quality of its design and construction, but even more, for the community that calls Canaan Parish home. This project will hopefully serve as a model for what is possible with affordable housing when a community comes together under the right circumstances to create something important and very special.” New Canaan’s Chris Hussey, president of the New Canaan Neighborhoods board, said in a statement, “Canaan Parish’s redevelopment was just a dream seven years ago. But in discussions with the Housing Authority and Heritage Housing, our developer, that dream started to take shape.”
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A reminder that volunteers are wanted to assist our local VFW Post 653 to lay wreaths at the graves of veterans in Lakeview Cemetery. All are welcome to participate from 8 to 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 25 at Lakeview Cemetery on Main Street. More background here from New Canaan’s Frances Wilson.
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The Friends of New Canaan Hockey are hosting the 43rd Annual Alumni Girls and Boys Ice Hockey Games on Friday, Nov. 24 at the Darien Ice House. The Girls Alumni game will begin at 3 p.m. and the Boys Alumni Games will start at 5 p.m. The night will include a postgame gathering at 7:30 p.m. at Waveny House that’s open to the community. Tickets are $10 and may be purchased at the door. All proceeds directly support both girls and boys programs. Hockey alumni who are interested in playing in the game should email fonchockey@gmail.com.
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Finally, here are more events worth checking out (add your event to the Community Calendar here and we’ll share it with fellow residents):
- Bristow Park Birding with an Expert (November 17 @ 8:30 am – 10:00 am)
- NCHS Thanksgiving Turkey Drive Benefiting Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County (November 15 – November 22)
- New Canaan Artisans Holiday Boutique Preview Sale (November 17 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm)
- Last Saturday on the Trail: Hike Through History (November 18 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am)
- 20th Annual New Canaan Turkey Trot (November 19 @ 10:30 am – 1:00 pm)
- The 1787 Constitution and Four Early Political Controversies (November 20 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm)
- Joe Bush and Friends Live In Concert At The Carriage Barn (November 25 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm)
- Deck The Walls Opening Celebration on Artists Sunday at Carriage Barn (November 26 @ 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm)
Congratulations, Mike Mauro. New Canaan is fortunate to have you lead the town council.
Congrats to Canaan Parish for yet another very justified award. Somebody (perhaps our new First Selectwoman) should remind the Governor and the Head of Housing in Hartford the only people apparently not acknowledging and rewarding New Canaan for all the good done in that project under very challenging circumstances is them.
Congratulations to Shawna Ferraro and the Middlebury field hockey team! There are two other New Canaan girls who are also playing in the National Championship Final on Sunday — Emily Knight and Zoey Bennett, both of whom play for the Johns Hopkins field hockey team.