Around Town

‘An Amazing Contributor’: Town Officials Honor the Late Jim Lisher

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New Canaan’s highest elected official and others honored longtime resident Jim Lisher since his passing last week, calling him a humble and dedicated community volunteer whose impact is felt throughout town and beyond, especially for seniors. First Selectman Dionna Carlson during Tuesday’s regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen noted that Lisher had a successful career in business and, afterwards, dedicated himself to the Health & Human Services Commission, where he served as chair for 10 years. “He also served as chair of the Commission on Aging,” Carlson said during the meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. 

She continued: “He also chaired several studies for the Board of Selectmen on senior health and housing needs, which resulted in the New Canaan Optimal Living Community Plan. And as part of that plan, he helped create the iSTEP Telehealth program. And this program was recognized as a ‘Connecticut Livable Community’ best practice.

Government

COVID-19: 55.3% of New Canaanites Have Received a Booster Shot

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Though just 55.3% of all New Canaanites have received at least one booster shot for COVID-19 virus, that percentage is still is relatively high compared to the rest of the state, according to Health Director Jenn Eielson. One reason may be that New Canaan is still holding clinics routinely, whereas many towns and even pharmacies have gotten away from the practice, Eielson said during the June 2 meeting of the Health & Human Services Commission, held via videoconference. 

“And a lot of people are holding out for the fall and seeing if there’s going to be a different Omicron-specific booster because they don’t want to get it in May and be told in October they can’t get another one,” she said. She spoke in response to Commissioner Jim Lisher, who asked whether there’s anything the town could do to encourage more residents to get at least a third dose of vaccine. “I know a lot of people at all ages that are saying ‘Oh, I don’t need a booster, I didn’t need the first booster let alone the second booster,’ “ Lisher said. “Is there anything we can do or anything anyone is doing around the state to get these people who are rational, educated people, and the reason they don’t want to do it is because they know they’ll have a reaction for a day maybe two days?” He said. 

Lisher added, “Is there anything anybody is using as a campaign to get up to 90-plus (percent) on demographic cohorts?”

The discussion came during Eielson’s general report to the Commission.

Alicia Meyer

Health Director: State Funding for New Canaan’s Public Health Nurse Now Uncertain

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New Canaan’s health director said Thursday that state officials “dropped a bombshell” this week regarding funding for a nurse whose responsibilities include administering vaccine. Hired in November through an Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity or “ELC” grant, the public health nurse has helped with COVID-19 virus testing, contact tracing and vaccinations amid the pandemic, and is to work on program expansions such as in telehealth, Health Director Jenn Eielson told members of the Health & Human Services Commission during a regular meeting. “Obviously, I cannot lose my public health nurse—there’s going to have to be a solution to that,” she said during the meeting, held via videoconference. 

“With the potential of another wave coming in the fall with the Delta variant—because even though we have very high vaccination rates, we still have the unvaccinated, the under-12 group that can’t get vaccinated yet,” Eielson added. “And there’s no timetable on that until ‘some time in the fall,’ is all we kept hearing for the under-12.”

The comments come as town officials decide how to spend $6 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding that’s been allocated to New Canaan. One specific category that the funds may be applied to is “public health expenditures” and bolstering local public health response, officials have said.

Around Town

Did You Hear … ?

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Town resident Mike Lupica, award-winning sportswriter, columnist, author and frequent commentator on ESPN’s “The Sports Reporters,” has sold his Bald Hill Road house for about $2.1 million, according to a property transfer recorded June 18 in the Town Clerk’s office. ***

New Canaan’s Melody Libonati is featured in a Connecticut Magazine story this month by Michael Catarevas that touches on her start in the theater and present-day Performing Arts Conservatory and Summer Theatre of New Canaan. ***

The owners of a Locust Avenue condominium have filed legal papers to evict a tenant that they say failed to pay $2,100 in monthly rent in April and May. In a formal Answer to the filing, the tenant conceded that rent was late and said, “This delay was due to unique circumstances.”

***

New Canaan Police Department Chief Leon Krolikowski reported reductions in several areas in tracking year-to-date statistics compared to the same time in 2017, such as DUIs (12 so far this year compared to 16 at the same time last year), employee injuries (5 versus 10), family disputes (19 versus 26) and larcenies from vehicles (7 versus 9). The data was shared at Wednesday’s Police Commission meeting.