New Canaan Police closed Forest Street temporarily Wednesday morning while responding to a medical call on the roadway’s single-lane, one-way stretch downtown. Forest was reopened to all traffic at about 11:30 a.m., police said.
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St. Mark’s Episcopal Church will hold its “Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols for Christmas” at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 17, with a reception to follow at Morrill Hall. It will be live-streamed.
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Alexa Saridakis
Congratulations to New Canaan High School senior Alexa Saridakis, captain of the varsity volleyball team, on receiving the Val Dickinson Memorial Volleyball Award and FCIAC Honorable Mention at last week’s New Canaan banquet.
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The Holiday Nutcracker Tea at Carriage Barn will be held 3 to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16. Info here.
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First Selectman Dionna Carlson said during Tuesday’s Board of Selectmen meeting that she’d run into Luke Parker-Bowles of CinemaLab during the Holiday Stroll last weekend, and that the target date for reopening the iconic Playhouse theater on Elm Street is still the end of April 2024, possibly early-May.
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Speaking of the Stroll, there’s still time to support the holiday lights—thousands of white lights hung on some 60 trees throughout downtown New Canaan. The Chamber of Commerce is seeking to raise $26,000 through tax-deductible donations.
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Registration for the New Canaan YMCA’s winter session is open—details on new programs for kids, teens and adults here.
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Chris Le Bris
The John and Ethel Kashulon Foundation, dedicated to enhancing the quality of life to the most vulnerable members in our society by investing in children and families, this week announced the appointment of New Canaan’s Chris Le Bris as a director. An advisor to the Foundation since 2019 in matters of governance and financial markets, Le Bris—known to locals as a former New Canaan Library Board of Trustees president and current Board of Finance member—brings more than 45 years of financial services experience in commercial banking, private banking and wealth management with Bank of America, and U. S. Trust. “Chris will help us continue to make progress in our worthy cause,” Board of Directors President Martin McLaughlin said in a statement. Le Bris holds a bachelor’s degree from Fordham University and a master’s from Indiana University.
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Here’s a special “Wine Minute” from Carl Franco at Francos Wine Merchants, marking the store’s amazing 90th year on Elm Street on Dec. 5:
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Congratulations to 1993 NCHS grad and New Canaan resident Dan Holland on publication of his first children’s book, “Infinity Forever,” illustrated by R.W. Rich. The book “beautifully illustrates the unconditional love between a parent and child, imparting the message that love knows no bounds and endures forever.” Available here.
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Register now for the Silvermine Art Center’s winter session, running Jan. 8 to March 17. (Also note that SAC’s “Holiday Arts & Crafts Show” will be held 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 15 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 16.)
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The selectmen on Tuesday approved the appointments of Robert Hamill and Colm Dobbyn as regular members of the Board of Finance. Selectman Steve Karl (NCHS ‘80) said during the approval that Hamill is a fellow NCHS graduate.
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The New Canaan Community Foundation’s Annual Appeal is underway.
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A dil figaro meal
New Canaan-owned dil figaro is now offering medically tailored prepared meals for seniors and chronically ill patients.
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Congratulations to New Canaan senior football co-captain Alex Benevento on being named NY Jets-Gatorade High School Player of the Week. Each week the Jets and Gatorade recognize a player in the Tri-State area by making a $1000 donation in their name to support their football program. New Canaan’s jack-of-all-trades this season, Benevento has 14 receptions for 136 yards and a touchdown, 31 carries for 413 yards and eight rushing touchdowns. On defense Benevento has 45 total tackles, six interceptions and three pick-sixes.
Alex Benevento with parents Mike and Taylor on National Letter of Intent Signing Day, Nov. 8, 2023. Credit: Michael Dinan
He also has three kickoff returns for touchdowns, including back-to-back opening kickoff returns for a score in the Turkey Bowl (31-17 win over Darien) and the Class L quarterfinals (49-14 win over Killingly). In New Canaan’s dramatic 11-8 win over Maloney in last Sunday’s Class L semifinals, Benevento scored on a 65-yard touchdown run to tie the game early in the 4th quarter and had 160 yards rushing on 17 carries. Also a standout on the diamond, Benevento committed to play baseball at Brown University. The Rams will match up once again with Darien in the Class L finals on Saturday at Rentschler Field in East Hartford. Kickoff is at 1:30 p.m.
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Pre-registration is open for kindergarten for the 2024-25 New Canaan Public Schools academic year. Click here.
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L-R: Charles Burges, John Burke, Jacqueline Harmody, Nick Plasencia, Nancy Burges. The SLOBs and NCHS moms stand with a Faith Kerchoff gnome.
NCHS PFA Beautification Chair Sarah Hering organized a Gnome Workshop for this past Monday as part of her efforts to create winter planters for the front of the high school. She enlisted Faith Kerchoff from the New Canaan Beautification League to teach volunteers from SLOBs how to make the gnomes. Hats were fashioned from old New Canaan pajamas to bring out the NCHS school pride for the four gnomes that now reside at the front entrance to greet students and visitors this winter season.
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As expected, these shows are rapidly selling out: The Town Players of New Canaan is putting on “A Christmas Story” Dec. 1 to 17 at the Powerhouse Theatre in Waveny. Tickets here.
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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):
- Gifting for Good (December 8 @ 3:30 pm – 6:30 pm)
- New Canaan YMCA Zumba Party (December 8 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm)
- RA Open Studios & FREE Community Workshop (December 9 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm)
- Pathway Session on Boundaries for Recovery (December 11 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm)
- Family Space Night with the Connecticut Science Center (December 14 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm)