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New Canaan Police Department 22 Push-Up Challenge for Vets

Uploaded by Michael Dinan on 2016-09-07.

New Canaan Police on Wednesday joined a global initiative designed to support veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. Launched three years ago by Honor Courage Commitment Inc., the #22KILL effort is being recognized by NCPD with members opting in to do 22 pushups daily for 22 days. Based on the statistic that 22 U.S. veterans commit suicide each day on average due to PTSD, it’s a way to “show veterans that they are appreciated and not alone in their darkest hour,” said Police Chief Leon Krolikowski, himself a veteran. The public, veterans and emergency responders are invited to join the police at 2:45 p.m. on each of the next 21 remaining days for the initiative.

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Town officials say they are looking outside the New Canaan Parking Bureau to find its next superintendent. Karen Miller, who had worked in the department for 18 years, retired from the position last week.

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The police chief is urging residents to lock up their cars and bring valuables inside after NCPD received reports of thefts from three unlocked vehicles in the area of Orchard Road.

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Here’s a fun one. The NY Liberty women’s basketball team on Friday is playing its “Back-To-School” game at Madison Square Garden. It will feature a performance from Disney actress and singer Laura Marano, and she has invited the fabulous New Canaan Dance Academy to dance while she performs on the court (clips of the performance will air in the third and fourth quarters of the game, which can be seen at 7 p.m. on the MSG channel). Here’s a video that shows the NCDA girls learning about the big surprise, directly from Marano:

what happens when @lauramarano reveals a BIG surprise for New Canaan Dance Academy before they perform @TheGarden pic.twitter.com/A1n2yhE6zW

— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) September 6, 2016

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A GoFundMe page set up July 13 for the family of the New Canaan infant who died following severe head trauma at a Stamford daycare has raised more than $17,716 toward its $20,000 goal. From the GFM page” “The Redondo family is suffering the devastating loss of they’re little Angel, 2 month old Baby Bella. Bella’s death has been ruled a homicide while under day care supervision. The family was completely unprepared for the loss of a child at such a young age. This campaign is dedicated to assist them with funeral expenses and lost wages from time missed from work. The Redondo family would like to take Bella back to her father Fernando’s hometown and bury her with her grandmother in Florida. This tragic incident occurred in Connecticut so travel expenses will be needed. Any support or donation is greatly appreciated.” Stamford police have charged the daycare’s owner with two felonies, first-degree manslaughter and first-degree risk of injury to a minor.

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Here’s a fond farewell to one of New Canaan’s most visible residents. Matt Walsh, 17, the first-ever honorary member of the New Canaan Police Department, is moving this month to Los Angeles with his family, he said. A rising high school junior, Walsh often can be seen at NCHS varsity sports games or on his bike downtown. His uncanny ability to be on scene for emergency response situations such as arrests or fender-benders led us at New Canaanite to designate Matt our “breaking news” reporter, and he alerted us to a water main break in June as well as Monday night’s fire downtown, snapping photos of the building on Main Street. Matt, you will be missed.

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The New Canaan Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Golf Outing is to be held Monday, Sept. 26 at Wee Burn Country Club. A no-stress way to make community connections, the outing is still accepting sponsors and players, and includes a buffet lunch, cocktail reception and prizes. It supports the chamber’s many community-centered programs.

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Tomorrow—Friday, Sept. 9—is 11 cent scoop night at Baskin Robbins on Main Street. The annual event is the gift of New Canaan’s Czech family, in recognition of New Canaan’s support of the Mikey Czech Foundation, dedicated to pediatric brain tumor research. Mikey died on Sept. 7, 2008, at age 11. Read more of his story here. Anyone who wants to take their change/savings and donate to the foundation is encouraged to do so. There will be buckets at the register to collect donations.

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New Canaan’s annual 9/11 Memorial Ceremony will be held on the front steps of Town Hall at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 9. Town residents Bradley Fetchet, Eamon McEneaney and Joe Coppo died during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

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Some two years after the chief of police in New Canaan called for crosswalks at NCHS as a safety measure, the high school got its first-ever crosswalk in time for the first day of school last week. It was a joint effort that included Slow Down In Our Town, Tiger Mann of the DPW and NCHS Principal Bill Egan.

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The 18th Annual Rich-Mich Softball Game will be held on Sunday, Sept. 25, at 4 p.m. at St. Luke’s School in the upper softball field that backs up to Soundview Lane. This annual men’s softball game has become a New Canaan tradition.

The teams are picked at random from those weekend (also weakened) warriors who show up to see if they still have the right stuff, generally local men in their 40s to 60s. All New Canaan men within that age range are invited to come out and play. The game is typically over by 6 p.m. and NewCanaanite.com publishes a roundup of the action.

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The Service League of Boys will hold an orientation meeting at 7 p.m. next Wednesday, Sept. 14 in the NCHS Cafeteria. SLOBs is open to any freshman, sophomore or junior boy attending NCHS. Boys who are interested in learning more about SLOBs are invited to attend. A parent must also attend. All current members and parents should plan to attend the General Meeting on Sept. 24. For more information about membership, please contact Bruce Berger at bruce@longshipcapital.com.

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The Grand Prize Virtuoso International Piano Competition first prize winner, 9-year-old pianist Angelina Hubertus of New Canaan, recently has been performing in the world’s most prestigious Concert Halls—Royal Albert Hall in London, Mozatuem Concert Hall at Mozart’s hometown Salzburg, Austria, and Carnegie Hall as well. Recently, she performed her first solo concert in her hometown, at the New Canaan Inn.

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The Philip Johnson Glass House has a new installation: “Yayoi Kusama: Dots Obsession-Alive, Seeking for Eternal Hope.” It’s the third part of a landscape installation on view throughout the season in celebration of the 110th anniversary of Philip Johnson’s birth and the 10th anniversary of the opening of the Glass House site to the public. In place through Sept. 26, Kusama has created an “infinity room,” covering the Glass House with her signature infinity polka dots. Visitors who attend the exhibition during this period will be offered the unique experience of seeing the world through the eyes of both Philip Johnson and Yayoi Kusama simultaneously.

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Finally, New Canaan Police on Wednesday morning greeted patrons of Zumbach’s Gourmet Coffee on Pine Street as part of the department’s first “Coffee with a Cop” initiative (see photos below). An idea from Officer Ron Bentley, NCPD’s community impact officer, the event saw police of all ranks chatting with residents over coffee at the iconic coffee shop near the corner of Grove Street. “It’s a nice thing,” Police Chief Leon Krolikowski said. “It’s one of the many community outreach efforts that we will undertake within the next year or so and bolster our relationships with the community.” Stay tuned to New Canaanite for notification of the next “Coffee with a Cop” installment—it will appear in the events area of our daily newsletter: