As the frost drips its way out of New Canaan soil, businesses and town officials here look to stick a shovel in it, kickstarting some capital projects—the theme of today’s Week in Review.
Fox Run Road in New Canaan ranks in PCI among the worst in town. It's being repaved soon. Credit: Michael Dinan
A word on the winter which is behind us (“please God,” as my mother-in-law in Dublin would say): We heard from public works officials that New Canaan’s roads this year saw their harshest-ever winter with consecutive snowstorms that led to enough road salt to concern some motorists about their vehicles’ undercarriages (though there was also good news this week for local drivers, at least those who commute).
It isn’t clear just how the large construction vehicles will get to a major capital project on the south end of town at the YMCA, though we did find out how an extended sidewalk from the top of Elm Street would get to Irwin Park (when the time comes).
New Canaan High School tennis courts. Credit: Michael Dinan
That project likely would be funded by bonding, as will one widely anticipated project to install a new, more durable (and in the long term, cost-effective) surface at the New Canaan High School tennis courts.
The high school is one building that stands to gain from what is perhaps the most closely watched capital project in town. We heard from Yankee Gas that its plan for tapping the Tennessee Gas Pipeline and running lines to some public buildings (such as NCHS) and downtown buildings—is coming soon.
Independent style consultant Elizabeth Blanchard, of New Canaan, a chamber of commerce member. Credit: Michael Dinan
We heard from the utility at a breakfast organized by the New Canaan Chamber of Commerce that brought together the first selectman and business owners here (including one business owner whose story we told this week—that’s a heads-up to guys who hate clothes shopping and wives who hate hearing about it).
Town Talker
This week, Terry in his “0684-Old” series took a look at the Works Project Administration murals that originally hung in our beloved Center School and have found their way, eventually, to the three public elementary schools that remain in town.
"Stories for Boys and Girls" by Ralph Lewis Nelson. This mural hangs at East School.
(I will just mention here that I count myself among those who shake their heads in disgust—yes, still—when I pass by the Center School Parking Lot and often see empty spaces on weekdays. Not that a knockout pit would fly with parents these days …)
Not surprisingly, the post saw comments not only on NewCanaanite.com but also on the “I Went To Center School in New Canaan” Facebook group (of which Terry is the creator and admin).
This home had stood at 47 Park Place. A new home is going in there that's more than three times its size.
The property transfer itself was recorded quite late in the week, so this news didn’t break until Friday on NewCanaanite.com (and nowhere else): the building that runs between Morse Court and Elm Street along the east side of the street (it includes Barbara Cleary’s Realty Guild and Pimlico, and used to include the Sweet Shoppe and Radio Shack, years ago) sold for about $4.3 million. It was purchased by a limited liability company—we’ll keep an eye out for a building permit application filed at Irwin and report back with any news there.
Here's the now-empty lot at 47 Park Place, which soon could get a new house. Credit: Michael Dinan
While that happened, we also tracked some teardown/new home construction project news which on our Facebook page (which hit 500 likes this weekend, after less than two months—thank you!) earned comments such as “Dislike.” Specifically, we saw a pair of 1934 homes come down, each to be replaced by a house more than three times their size.
Local Opportunities
In the wake of fatal house fires in Connecticut, New Canaan Fire Marshal Fred Baker announced that he’s offering residents a free (and penalty-free) home inspection, strictly as a safety measure to ensure New Canaanites are doing what they can to be safe in the event of a fire.
New Canaan Garden Club members Jo Ziesing, Tori Frazer, Ellen McMahon & Carrie Deane Corcoran. Contributed photo
That’s a great opportunity for townies.
So is a chance to purchase some attractive trees and shrubs from the venerable New Canaan Garden Club, with proceeds going back into the civic-minded group itself—a great cause that benefits everyone in town. The annual Tree and Shrub Sale is on now.
Police News
Police responded to some unusual calls this week, including a complaint from a woman rear-ended near the Darien line (just at Talmadge Hill) by what turned out to be a 14-year-old girl who’d taken her grandfather’s car.
On Thursday, a New Canaan woman was struck by a car near the train station—her condition is not clear.
Park and Elm Streets in New Canaan on March 27, 2014, after a woman crossing Park was struck by a car. Credit: Terry Dinan
Though it is not clear who was at fault in the case of the struck pedestrian from last week, the intersection at Park and Elm Streets is a notoriously dangerous one for many pedestrians and motorists alike.
Police also spent more time than usual at Waveny—in one case citing a pair of New Canaan teens for pot possession after one of them nearly backed into a police cruiser, and in another case investigating three car break-ins in a two-hour window.
This animal, which looks to be the same 'Coywolf' spotted up on Proprietors Crossing last weekend, was photographed Thursday morning in New Canaan, at Marvin Ridge Road. Credit: Kathy Mitchell
One of our most-shared stories this week (more than 100 Facebook shares since Tuesday) reported on two more coyote sightings in New Canaan. The featured photo with the story, reposted here, shows a ‘coywolf,’ a rare-ish coyote-wolf combination that’s been spotted with greater frequency in town this winter than in memory.
We also reported on Saturday that, according to New Canaan police, irresponsible dog walkers or owners leaving canine waste behind has become a common complaint here. The worst place for it? Judging by the number of complaints that come in: South Avenue.
Features
As always, many thanks to the New Canaanites who participated in our spot features this week.
Lauren Palladino. Credit: Michael Dinan
For this installment of “Street Style,” we heard from The Candy Scoop co-owner Lauren Palladino, an experienced local shopper with some grounded fashion advice and observations for locals.
How could you not interview the owner about the two puppies pictured here? New Canaan’s Bratches family picked up the pooches after their 15-year-old Labrador retrievers passed away, and we think Bruno and Winston are a great addition to town. (Love the names, too, as I’ve noted many times before, my wife and I like large breed, rescued, male dogs with long hair and human names. We have Wilbur, Russell, Louis and Marvin.)
Bruno (L) and Winston (R) Bratches recently moved here from New Hampshire. They stop foot traffic on Elm Street. Credit: Michael Dinan
We enjoyed learning more about one of the most familiar faces in town—Jeff Zaino, a library staff member since 1983—in this week’s “Faces” installment. Nobody is better qualified to talk about New Canaan’s changing (or not) tastes and the way technology has changed the way we experience reading materials. We also tapped Jeff for some personal favorites around town.
Cesar Suero, line cook at Station Eats, says the cheeseburgers are popular and "extra hot peppers" is a fairly common order. Credit: Michael Dinan
Speaking of favorites, we talked to Life Aquatic’s Bobby Johnston about a personal pick for “Biz on Biz.” (Strangely, three businesses we visited prior to chatting with Bobby turned us away to participate in the feature—we’ll circle back another time and see if they’ve changed their minds.) Just like Bobby the batboy in Barry Levinson’s classic “The Natural” (it’s Opening Day, after all), Johnston picked us out a winner by selecting the cheeseburger at nearby Station Eats as a local fave.