Around Town

Did You Hear … ?

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The owner of a commercial property in downtown New Canaan on Wednesday filed a lawsuit seeking $10,200 in back rent from a former tenant. According to the complaint, the plaintiff—ANCAR Inc., a company whose managing partners are Knapp Lane residents, according to Connecticut Secretary of the State records—is seeking two months’ rent due in March and April for a tenant at 149 Cherry St. at $4,600 per month and $1,000 owed for short payments amassed over the prior 10 months. The defendant is Devonshire Holdings LLC, owned by a Greenwich resident, state records show. ***

The New Canaan Fire Department had a very big turnout at the Katonah Fire Parade, as did the Mount Kisco Pipers.

Around Town

New Canaan Library, Bookstore See High Demand for Controversial ‘Fire & Fury’ Book on Trump

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Officials at New Canaan Library and the bookstore in town say they’re seeing high demand among locals for “Fire & Fury: Inside the Trump White House,” a new book at the center of a political firestorm involving the president and his circle. The library had ordered one copy of the nonfiction work before it had any buzz—even though the book wasn’t reviewed anywhere or expected to do very well—and that copy is expected to come this week, according to Lauren Phillips, head of collections. There already are 29 holds on that print book—Phillips said she since has ordered three more copies, and hopes to have them soon—and 21 holds on an e-book version out of the library. “This is an unusual situation,” Phillips said. “It’s not unusual for us to have a lot of holds on a book before its publication date.

Business

10 Great Last-Minute Christmas Gift Ideas from New Canaan Shops [GALLERY]

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We’re entering the home stretch of Christmas shopping in New Canaan, as most every holiday shipping date has past. For anyone looking for great last-minute gift and stocking-stuffer ideas, we’ve created the gallery above—covering everything from $5 squishies for the kids to a $3,600 six-liter bottle of wine for the grownups. Though it’s not meant to be exhaustive—for example, we left off favorites such as the New Canaan Chamber of Commerce’s gift cards, New Canaan Historical Society’s ornaments and Philip Johnson Glass House’s design store items—the gallery represents a good cross-section of downtown merchants. As Laura Budd from the Chamber’s offices above the Playhouse on Elm Street said: “From our office on the ’50-yard line’ and from our interactions with store owners and managers, we know that New Canaan shoppers have embraced the ‘Shop Local’ movement. We know this is in no small part due to the tremendous effort the local businesses put in to the ‘experience’ of shopping here in New Canaan.

Business

Organizers Suspend Pop Up Park after Some Merchants Raise Concerns

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The committee that developed, managed and advocated on behalf of the Pop Up Park downtown—recently securing approval to keep it in place through the summer—is suspending those plans indefinitely after a group of merchants in town voiced opposition. According to a letter obtained by NewCanaanite.com that’s signed by 16 business owners downtown—most of them retailers, including Elm Street Books owner Susan Rein and Pimilico owner Jill Saunders (see full letter below, as well as those who added their names to it)—the Pop Up Park in occupying the final block of South Avenue at Elm Street obstructs traffic, blocks parking and displaces an important loading zone. While complimenting Pop Up Park Committee members for their passion and diligence, these merchants say, the park itself “hampers business” because its visitors do not patronize local shops and restaurants. “If it continues much longer, the small-town charm of New Canaan’s downtown is going to be overrun by big box chains just like many other towns in our area,” according to the letter, dated June 1. “The look of the Park does nothing to enhance the visual appeal of town,” the letter said.