Around Town

Did You Hear … ?

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The Cedar Knolls, N.J.-based company that brings in coaches from the United Kingdom to instruct youth soccer players in New Canaan hit a snag in immigration this year that’s limited its ability to bring back most of its coaches from last fall. The matter is being addressed head-on with parents by the New Canaan Football Club. The contracted company, UK Elite, has accelerated its search to bring in replacement coaches for the NCFC’s Travel and Academy teams this spring. ***

Police received a report at about 10:22 a.m. Sunday about a distressed dog in a car at the Acme (Food Emporium) lot on Elm Street. The owner turned up and left the with dog, according to Officer Allyson Halm of the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control section.

News

‘An Opportunity To Give Back To The Community’: New Canaan’s Volunteer Firefighters

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As a child, lifelong New Canaanite Peter Ayoub dreamt of becoming a firefighter or astronaut. A 2003 New Canaan High School graduate who now works as a director at PricewaterhouseCoopers doing M&A advisory, Ayoub recalls donning firefighters’ outfits for several Halloweens in New Canaan. More recently, especially after purchasing a house in town a little more than one year ago, the grownup Ayoub said he found himself “looking for an opportunity to give back to the community.”

Ayoub’s inspiration for making that a priority has been his own parents. “They’re both doctors in town and they always gave back,” he said. “I was trying to find an avenue myself, to get involved and help the people I care about.”

Those people being fellow New Canaanites, and recent weeks have seen some of the ways they’ve needed help, as frozen water pipes have burst at dozens of New Canaan houses from extreme low temperatures, and high winds have taken down trees and limbs that knocked power out of more than 1,000 homes.

Government

First Selectman: New Canaan Achieves High Fire Protection Rating

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New Canaan’s highest elected official said town residents likely will see better fire-related insurance premiums following an even stronger rating of the local fire department. First Selectman Rob Mallozzi said in a press release Tuesday that the town is seeing a “significant upgrade” to its fire protection rating from the Insurance Service Office—a way to measure the emergency response agency’s performance, efficiency and effectiveness based on a set of standards, according to this FEMA-published report. “Less than 1 percent of ISO-rated communities have achieved a rating lower than 4,” he said. New Canaan formerly had been rated 6/9 by ISO, Mallozzi said. The rating company’s citation includes this paragraph, he said: “Improvements in firefighting water supply are the primary reason for the improvement.

News

Two-Car Accident Closes Lower Frogtown Road Monday Night

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A accident involving two cars shut down lower Frogtown Road—the end closest to Weed Street—late Monday. Firefighters, EMT’s and police quickly arrived on scene soon after it was reported at approximately 8:30 p.m. Those present said there were no major injuries. Both autos sustained heavy damage to their left front ends. One of the two vehicles—a Bentley—and its two occupants were still at the scene by the time NewCanaanite.com arrived, as the other had already been towed away on a flatbed truck. The spot of the accident was located just east of Parish Road and near a notorious hill a few hundred yards away from the intersection of Frogtown and Weed.

Public Safety
New Canaan Fire Department

Fire Log: Man in Town Hall Elevator Trapped for 35 Minutes

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A man in elevator in the newly renovated New Canaan Town Hall got trapped for about 35 minutes when the elevator was stuck Tuesday afternoon. It was one of the New Canaan Fire Department’s calls last week (see below for more). The elevator missed one of the floors by a few inches, which set off internal safety devices that kept the door from opening, said Fire Chief Jack Hennessey. A short while later, an elevator repair man could be seen working on the device, which was between the first floor and the floor below. “We were talking with the gentleman who was in the car, and he was in no distress,” Hennessey said.