News

Emergency Management: ‘Most’ Town Roads Should Be Passable Wednesday Morning After Violent Storm [UPDATED]

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Update 12:15 p.m.

As of midday, White Oak Shade Road between Gerdes Road and Shagbark Lane remained closed for restoration efforts by Eversource due to Wednesday night’s storm, police said. Eversource now expects power to be restored by 5 p.m. “This is just an estimation and could be longer depending on work that needs to be completed by Eversource,” according to Police Lt. Jason Ferraro. “Motorists are advised to seek alternate routes through the afternoon rush hour.” Update 6:39 a.m.

Roads are blocked at Marvin Ridge, Conrad and Wydendown Roads as well as White Oak Shade Road at Brookside, according to the Office of Emergency Management. Most of the 402 New Canaan homes still without power will be restored this morning, officials said, citing information from Eversource.

Government

Michael Handler, New Canaan Republican, Takes Major Step Forward in CT Gubernatorial Bid

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New Canaan resident Michael Handler is poised to take an important step forward in his bid for the Connecticut governor’s seat, as his campaign announced Monday that it has surpassed a key fundraising threshold. By exceeding $250,000 in qualifying contributions—none of which came from lobbyists or state contractors—the Republican is expected to qualify for public financing under the Citizens’ Election Program or ‘CEP.’

“I am extremely proud of the support that our campaign continues to receive,” Handler said in a press release. “Clearly, our message is resonating—the challenges we face as a state are fixable. I will address our threatening fiscal situation, reduce taxes and excessive regulations, and attract new businesses to our state. As CFO of Stamford, I fixed the mess Dan Malloy left behind after 14 years as mayor.

Around Town

Did You Hear … ?

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The town on Feb. 27 received an application to build Merritt Village, the 110-unit complex on the Maple and Park Streets block at the edge of downtown New Canaan, approved in November 2016 by the Planning & Zoning Commission. The application calls for four multi-family residential buildings with 167,746 gross square feet and a combination of underground and surface parking. ***

And now, a photo of Parking Enforcement Officer Mike McCargo with New Canaan’s Lummi Roscoe, a Pomeranian. ***

The Board of Finance on Thursday night voted unanimously to approve a town-wide budget for next fiscal year of $150.9 million—an overall increase of 1.89 percent—including a Board of Education operating budget of $89.7 million.

News

Officials: Power in Town To Be ‘Substantially’ Restored by 11 p.m. Sunday

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Update 4:30 p.m. Friday

Emergency Management Director Mike Handler said in a 3 p.m. announcement Friday that through the Emergency Operations Center’s coordinated efforts of the town and Eversource, all of New Canaan now is accessible by vehicles such as fire trucks and ambulances. “We still have approximately 100 roadways with known hazards,” Handler said. “Please do not move any barricades or caution tape. Currently 1,338 homes or 16 percent of town are without power. Eversource is now able to estimate that ‘substantially’ all power will be restored by 11 p.m. on Sunday.”

Here’s an interactive map that shows problem areas:

Original Article

New Canaan Public Schools will be closed Friday, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bryan Luizzi said, as New Canaan continues to deal with dozens of road closures and downed wires, with no firm timetable for restoration.

Around Town

Power Slowly Returning in New Canaan; What’s Open & Closed

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—Gallery photos by Eden Neleman

Wet, heavy snow fell rapidly on New Canaan starting Wednesday afternoon, knockng down trees and power lines, causing outages and prompting emergency responders to close roads. New Canaan Public Schools will be closed again on Thursday, with Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bryan Luizzi citing very dangerous road conditions as a reason. New Canaan Library will open at 12 p.m. Metro-North Railroad service is suspended on the New Canaan branch. Emergency Management Director Mike Handler said late Wednesday that some 75 roads in town were blocked with trees and what should be assumed to be “live and dangerous” power lines. According to Eversource, outages in New Canaan jumped up to 35 percent or 2,965 homes as of 7:15 a.m. Thursday.