NewCanaanite.com recently received the following letter(s) to the editor. Please send letters to editor@newcanaanite.com for publication here.
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Dear Editor
I am appalled and saddened that our Board of Education eliminated the words “Diversity”, “Equity”, and “Inclusion” or “DEI” from its stated goals for this school year.
How do these Board members square the fact that nearly every major business across the globe, like J&J, Mastercard, Accenture and Coke, is embracing these words and their spirit, along with many schools (both public and private) across the nation? What lessons are we teaching our children – shouldn’t our schools be preparing them for the realities of the world outside? And, what are we saying to the hundreds of new residents that have moved into our community? The implications are shocking.
NCPS is currently the top school district in the state (and rated #26 in the nation). We achieve A+ in every category apart from Diversity (C-), in which we lag behind our neighboring districts of Westport, Wilton, Greenwich, and Ridgefield. We are tied with Darien.
It also saddened me that certain Board members were not prepared to listen to the insight of professional DEI advisors, instead relying on their own opinions, values, and emotions. We hire the best and the brightest to teach our children, and some of the highest educated and experienced as administrators. We relied on experts to help our schools safely re-open during the pandemic and keep the children in class. What expertise do these Board members have in this area? Upon what broad sets of data and evidence do they base their opinions? Are we going to accept that such a drastic and short-sighted statement about our community can be made solely on the basis that certain people “feel uncomfortable”, or because the topic is “too political”? What is the next draconian measure on their agenda? Are they going to suggest we ban books from school libraries if they are not “in sync” with their personal ideologies?
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion compared to what?
Homogeneity, uniformity, sameness.
Unfairness, accommodation of special interest.
Exclusion, marginalization, segregation.
The ultimate job of the Board of Education is to prepare New Canaan’s children for their futures and the reality is, this future is one where diversity is celebrated. To sweep this reality under the rug in favor of their personal ideologies is to fail New Canaan’s children. If you agree, I encourage you to let the BOE know: ncpsboemembers@ncps-k12.org . We need to put aside feelings of discomfort and put the needs of our students and community first.
Lucy Dathan
State Representative, District 142
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To the Editor,
I am looking forward to New Canaan’s annual Vigil on the evening of Thursday, September 1st and I hope to again see a wide cross-section of our community there. This event focuses on overdose and addiction awareness, but I find that it touches so much more – mental health, wellness, family, community, belonging. The love and connection at the pop-up park space that evening is always palpable and it’s something that I hope each person in our town can experience at least once.
The New Canaan Community Foundation has been a proud co-sponsor of the Vigil since its first year in 2017. Coordinated by the New Canaan Parent Support Group, a team of dedicated volunteers plan for months to ensure each vigil highlights important stories, offers resources, and serves as a special setting to both remember people lost too soon as well as inspire hope for others on their journey.
It’s not to be missed. The theme this year around Self-care should resonate with many and, as always, the event is family friendly. I hope to see you there on September 1st.
Sincerely,
Lauren Patterson
President & CEO
New Canaan Community Foundation
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The Main Street house Bradley Keeler used to live in was transformed by a large addition into a trendy downtown hotel, which eventually featured a two-level balcony, dormer windows and Victorian cupola. Its most prominent owner, the Manhattan railroad magnate Gilbert Birdsall and his wife owned and operated the hotel, which housed a saloon. billiard room and ballroom, until his wife passed away in 1907. Ownership passed to their granddaughter Mrs. R.B. Morse.
Today the 127 year old Birdsall House is only a memory, as it was demolished by Morse Realty Company in 1950 to make way for a surface parking lot.
The loss of the once lively hotel establishment left a big gap in the Town of New Canaan’s downtown urban fabric. The New Canaan Library partially closed that gap by a westward expansion along Cherry Street in 1952 that together with the 1913 and 1937 sections, nearly filled the block between Main and South Avenue.
Today, traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) design principles, promoted by the Congress for New Urbanism, favors preservation of the urban fabric. The direction the New Canaan Library Board has taken over the past decade as the Library swallowed up and demolished a series of historic structures to assemble a big block lot, undermines the traditional neighborhood development that make historic downtowns so appealing.
For over a decade, the New Canaan Library board has made its intentions extremely clear through its actions. There is only one prudent and pragmatic option left is to craft a compromise solution. That would be for the Town to step up on behalf of its residents, who oppose demolition, and negotiate a lot split and land exchange with the Library board. The Town would be responsible for the restoration of the 1950’s library and its maintenance. The Town would approve demolition of the 1979 library addition, but take ownership of the 1913-1937-1952 library structure and the land that it sits on. In exchange for that slice of historic real estate including space for required disability parking, the Town would offer the Library Board an equal sized parcel on the northern section of the Center School parking lot, with a stipulation that the Library board only use it for Library parking.
The Town would accept donations from preservation minded individuals and groups like the New Canaan Preservation Alliance to restore and rehabilitate the historic library structure.
The size of this structure is utilitarian, while it retains the charm of the 1913 building and the function of the 1952 addition. Its footprint is substantial enough that its not practical to move it as the New Canaan Library Board has proposed for the fragile teacup-sized 1913 library. The new New Canaan Library would benefit from the re-use of 1913-1937-1952 Library structure in that its campus would be buffeted from the sounds of motor vehicles noise on Cherry Street into and through town.
Residents have the power to move this compromise forward by speaking it out in favor of this compromise proposal at the Historic Design Review Committee’s meeting on Monday August 29th at 10:00 a.m. Granting a 90-day demolition delay provides time for main parties, the Town and Library Board to craft a compromise. Share your view with members of the Board of Selectman, Town Council, Board of Finance, Planning & Zoning and New Canaan Preservation Alliance.
Richard Stowe