Around Town

Winter Storm Dumps 13 Inches of Snow on New Canaan [PHOTOS]

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An estimated 13 inches of snow blanketed New Canaan on Thursday, forcing dozens of local businesses to close as public works crews worked around-the-clock on town roads amid strong winds and freezing temperatures. The New Canaan Public Schools will open on a two-hour delay on Friday, district officials announced:

NCHS – 9:30 a.m.
Saxe grades 7/8 – 9:30 a.m.
Saxe grades 5/6 – 10:20 a.m.
South – 10:15 a.m.
East and West – 11:05 a.m.

New Canaan Police reported one minor storm-related accident in town while Fire Chief Jack Hennessey urged residents to shovel around hydrants, keep their house numbers visible and plow long driveways for access by EMTs and other emergency responders. First Selectman Rob Mallozzi commended the New Canaan Department of Public Works’ Highway and Parks employees on doing “a fantastic job.”

“They are real pros,” Mallozzi told NewCanaanite.com. Officials expect storm cleanup—clearing the roads and piling snow in designated lots—to take eight-plus hours “and we should be good to go by the morning.”

New Canaan Library and Town Hall also were closed Thursday. DPW Director Tiger Mann said that the heavy snow came down “very hard throughout the day” and that town equipment saw mechanical breakdowns “but that is par for the course during long snow events.”

The National Weather Service issued a bulletin late Thursday urging motorists to be cautions, as gusts blowing up to 45 mph could re-cover roads that had been cleared earlier.

News

PHOTOS: 8-Car Accident Snarls Merritt Parkway Traffic in New Canaan on Thursday Afternoon

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New Canaan’s emergency responders rushed to the Merritt Parkway late Thursday morning on a report of a multiple vehicle accident. Eight cars were involved in the crash, according to New Canaan Fire Department Chief Jack Hennessey. Those involved suffered only minor injuries, he said. The Connecticut Department of Transportation reported at 12:19 p.m. that the accident occurred in the southbound lane of the parkway, about one mile north of Exit 35 in Stamford. Traffic on the southbound side of the parkway had backed up above Exit 36 and even past Exit 37 as a result.

It isn’t clear what caused the accident or whether any motorists involved face charges.

Business

Investigation into Cause of Main Street Fire Underway; Five Businesses in Building Remain Without Power, Closed

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An investigation into the cause of the third-story fire in a prominent downtown building at Main Street and East Avenue on Monday night is ongoing, though it does not appear to be suspicious, according to Fire Chief Jack Hennessey. The five businesses that occupy 96 Main St. are not yet able to operate, as power had been disconnected to the building following the fire that started in the attic and the property management company first must get an electrician in for a survey, said Fire Marshal Fred Baker. “Fortunately the fire damage was minimal and thank god the sprinkler system did its job,” Baker told NewCanaanite.com, echoing some of what Hennessey said from the scene on Monday. “We don’t know what started it.

News

PHOTOS: Fire at Main Street Commercial Building on Monday Night

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New Canaan firefighters on Monday night put out a blaze that had broken out in the third story of a commercial building at the corner of on Main Street and East Avenue, prompting emergency responders to close the area to motor vehicle traffic. It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the fire at 96 Main St., though it appeared to have started in the attic of the prominent downtown building, according to Fire Chief Jack Hennessey. “Sprinklers assisted with putting out the fire,” Hennessey told NewCanaanite.com. “The sprinklers saved the day. It could have been a very, very serious fire.

Around Town

Did You Hear … ?

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Tragic news reported by The Advocate: A 2-month-old baby girl from New Canaan died in Stamford on Tuesday evening, hours after she developed a problem breathing at daycare. The newspaper’s crime and courts reporter writes that police are calling the cause of death blunt-force head trauma, and the incident has been classified as a homicide. Her family lives on Locust Avenue, the newspaper reported. The Stamford Police detective overseeing the case was not immediately available for comment. Full article here.