Around Town

Quiet Heroes of New Canaan: Margaux Dalipi

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Claudia Weber founded Strays & Others animal rescue nearly 40 years ago, and the all-volunteer nonprofit organization has always relied on the generosity of New Canaanites. Even so, Weber was deeply moved by what Saxe Middle School sixth-grader Margaux Dalipi did last month. After saving her allowance for three years, the 11-year-old donated her entire savings of several hundred dollars to Strays & Others. “She’s inspirational,” Weber said in nominating Margaux for the ‘Quiet Heroes of New Canaan’ series. “I questioned her and I said, ‘I hope you bought something for yourself in those three years.’ And she said, ‘Oh yeah, I did.’ But she said, ‘I’m so happy to do this and now I’m going to save it up again for another three years for someone else.’ ”

In fact, we found out from Margaux’s mom, Jennifer, that the middle-schooler saved 100% of her allowance for those years in order to make the gift.

Amy Murphy Carroll

New Board of Selectmen Sworn In at Town Hall Ceremony

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In her first public address as New Canaan’s highest elected official, Dionna Carlson on Tuesday night vowed to make good on a campaign vow to restore transparency, civility and teamwork to the office of first selectman. Addressing a standing-room-only crowd in the Town Hall Meeting Room during an Oath of Office Ceremony, Carlson said she was “full of gratitude” and felt “a deep sense of responsibility” on taking office. “I want to express my sincere thanks to all of you who supported me during my campaign,” Carlson told the crowd after she and her fellow members of the Board of Selectmen—Steve Karl and Amy Murphy Carroll—as well as Town Treasurer Andrew Brooks had been sworn in by Town Clerk Claudia Weber. 

She continued: “Your belief in me and your tireless efforts brought me to this moment, and I am humbled by your trust. As I step into this new role, I want to emphasize that I am committed to working collaboratively with members of boards, commissions, committees and our dedicated staff for the betterment of our entire community.  Together, we will strive to address the needs and concerns of our residents and to ensure our town continues to thrive and prosper.”

Referring to the values of transparency, civility and teamwork, Carlson said they’re “not just words on a poster.”

“They’re the guiding principles that will shape my tenure,” Carlson said. “I firmly believe that an open and transparent government is essential for building trust and fostering a sense of unity within our community.

Board of Selectmen

Selectmen OK Increase After Larger-Than-Usual Ballot Purchase

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Municipal officials recently approved a request from the Town Clerk to allocate additional funds for specialized print materials after the town spent more money on ballots than it had in years past. In the past, town officials have tried to estimate just how many printed ballots would be needed for each election, “but since we ran out of ballots once or twice we wanted to err on the side of caution” for the 2022 election, according to Town Clerk Claudia Weber. “Previously, to not waste money—because ballots can be expensive—we would say ‘Well what’s the turnout in a general election? What’s the turnout for a presidential election?’ and we would guesstimate, ‘Well we probably need about 80% or we need 70% [of the total electorate],’ ” Weber told members of the Board of Selectmen during their regular meeting, held May 16 at Town Hall and via videoconference. “And this last time we just said ‘110%—we’re not going to run out of anything.’ ”

As a result, the Town Clerk’s office spent its budget for print materials such as meeting minute books ($195 apiece), vital records paper ($300) and vital records binders ($390), Weber said.

Claudia Weber

‘We Are Swamped’: Town Clerk Sees Dramatic Increase in Absentee Ballots Issued for Nov. 2 Election

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A rapidly increasing number of New Canaan voters are requesting and filing absentee ballots for the municipal election, according to Town Clerk Claudia Weber. Asked about the activity since absentee voting opened Oct. 1, Weber said, “The first two weeks of the month it was very, very quiet and now all of the sudden it has picked up dramatically and we are swamped.”

As of midday Wednesday, a total of 546 absentee ballots had been issued, and Weber said she expects to issue more than 1,000 overall—a “much greater” number than in a regular local election year, she said. “In a normal municipal election, pre-COVID, we usually issued less than 200 absentee ballots,” Weber said. It’s unclear whether the high number is also a measure of overall interest in the election.

Claudia Weber

Election 2021 Republican Caucus: Town Clerk Candidate Claudia Weber

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New Canaan resident Claudia Weber is seeking the endorsement of the Republican Party for re-election for town clerk. We put some questions to the incumbent about her candidacy. Our exchange follows. New Canaanite: Tell us about yourself—how long have you lived in New Canaan, what have you been involved with here in town and what led to your decision to seek re-election? Claudia Weber: My parents moved here when I was just three years old, and I consider myself a lifelong New Canaanite.