Around Town

Top-10 Stories of 2024

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The 10 most-read articles of 2024 cover a wide range of local news. This past year saw traffic on the New Canaanite exceed 2.5 million views. Here they are, headlines and ledes:

Animal Cruelty Warrant: Dog Left Alone without Adequate Food, Water or Shelter ‘For Multiple Days’ (Feb. 20)

Authorities on Feb. 7 charged a New Canaan man with cruelty to animals because his dog was left outside for multiple days without proper food, water or shelter, according to a police officer’s affidavit in an arrest warrant application. 

New Canaanite Marks 10-Year Milestone (Jan.

Homepage Featured

The Grazing Ram: New Canaan High School to Offer SAT Tutoring with NCCF Grant

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[Leo Mikkola-Patel, author of ‘The Grazing Ram’ periodic opinion column, is a member of the New Canaan High School class of 2025.]

New Canaan High School is creating an SAT tutoring program available to all students. The program will be offered in classes at NCHS in partnership with Carnegie Prep, a leader in standardized test prep. The goal of this program is to better prepare NCHS students for college. This program will also level the playing field as all students who indicate a need for financial assistance will be funded by a generous grant from the New Canaan Community Foundation (NCCF) creating the Equal Access for SATs (EOS) program. Working in conjunction with Principal William Egan, Assistant Principal Kristi Carriero, Meg Soffen from NCCF and NCHS Director of the College and Career Susan Carroll, I feel satisfied that 0ur team has been able to make a big impact on the whole school community. In addition, the whole team is thankful for the support of the Community Foundation for this project. 

What will the format of the program be?

Around Town

Coffee’s on for Thursday

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Join fellow residents and NewCanaanite.com editor Michael Dinan for the monthly Community Coffee, to be held 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 2 in the Jim & Dede Bartlett Auditorium at New Canaan Library. The Coffee is presented in partnership with the library, and the brew is supplied by Zumbach’s Gourmet Coffee (thank you, Doug). The free, public coffee is a group conversation about what’s happening around town, moderated by Dinan. Topics come from attendees and we spend no more than 10 minutes per subject.

News

Donald J. Bodick, 77

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Donald J. Bodick, devoted husband, cherished father, and beloved friend to many, passed away peacefully at his home in New Canaan, CT, on December 24, 2024, surrounded by the family he adored. He was 77 years old. Born in Greenwich, CT, on October 3, 1947, Don was the son of the late John T. and Carolyn (Wozny) Bodick. He lived a life defined by kindness, humor, and an unmatched zest for life. Don graduated from Berry College in Rome, GA, in 1969 with a B.A. degree before serving honorably in the U.S. Army National Guard.

Now & Then

New Canaan Now & Then: ‘Le Beau Chateau’ (the Huguette Clark Estate)

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‘Now & Then’ is sponsored by Brown Harris Stevens Realtors Joanne Santulli, Karen Ceraso, Bettina Hegel and Schuyler Morris. “Le Beau Chateau” (beautiful country house) was built in 1937 for former U.S. Senator David A. Reed of Pennsylvania. 

Mr. Reed was a United States senator from 1922 to 1935. Along with Congressman Albert Johnson, Senator Reed was co-author of the Immigration Act of 1924, the purpose of which was to restrict the movement of Eastern and Southern Europeans into the United States, and prohibit Asian immigration in its entirety. Mr. Reed purchased the property in 1936 and the house was designed by Voorhees, Gmelin & Walker of New York. The contractor was the Miller-Reed Company of Norwalk (and New York).