According to a separation agreement obtained this week by NewCanaanite.com through a Freedom of Information Act request, a former assistant to the New Canaan High School athletic director had been overpaid $30,000 by the Board of Education during the 2015-16 academic year. Anne Tomaselli paid the school district back that money, under the agreement, and the Board of Ed accepted her resignation “in lieu of any proceedings” concerning the termination of her employment. The agreement also specified that she would not seek future employment with the schools. Many in town knew Tomaselli as ticket sales supervisor at Dunning Stadium. Asked how she came to be overpaid by $30,000, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bryan Luizzi said in an email: “When the district moved payroll in-house, a stipend that was given 3 [times] a year for additional facility support in athletics at NCHS was miscoded as a recurring payment. When we identified the issue (around the holidays/January, I believe) the payments ceased, and the money was repaid before the end of the fiscal year.”
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Police Chief Leon Krolikowski is warning residents about a telephone scam where a woman’s recorded voice warns that a “department” has a “legal enforcement action filed on your Social Security Number for fraudulent activity,” and that listeners must phone her back before the supposed agency “begins with legal proceedings.” The phone call is part of a scam seeking to defraud unwitting victims.
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The donkeys moving into a new barn at the New Canaan Nature Center are named Poppy, Tilly, Charlotte, and Chipper, according to Public Works Director Tiger Mann. Mann presented an application to construct the barn to the Planning & Zoning Commission during its regular meeting Tuesday. P&Z approved the application 9-0. Those voting included newly made regular member John Kriz and Commissioners Claire Tiscornia, Bill Redman, Dick Ward, Jean Grzelecki (secretary), Laszlo Papp, John Goodwin (chairman), Dan Radman and Kent Turner.
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The New Canaan Building Department on Tuesday issued a demolition permit for 539 Main St. and on Oct. 26 issued a demo permit for 287 Briscoe Road.
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Here’s an article from Darienite on an explosive lawsuit that names the Darien Board of Education, Darien Athletic Foundation, Darien High School football coach and reporters for the Darien Times and The Advocate of Stamford as defendants.
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In reviewing New Canaan’s “Village District Design Guidelines,” a subcommittee of the Planning & Zoning Commission on Tuesday cited the widely discussed retaining wall on Park Street by way of including a note that “faux” materials are “not preferred.”
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New Canaan-based criminal defense attorney Matthew Maddox of The Matthew Maddox Law Firm LLC will host a “Seminar on Navigating the Law and Social Policy in the Cannabis Culture” from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 15, at his Elm Street office. Details and RSVP info here.
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The League of Women Voters of New Canaan is presenting the town’s first-ever “Democracy Day” event on Tuesday, Nov. 6—Election Day. “With polls open all day and kids home from school, Democracy Day is a fun way to congratulate voters and families with special activities and offers from New Canaan businesses,” LOWV President Miki Porta said in a statement. “Voting is vital to our democracy, and our support of local merchants is vital to our village. Let’s show our support of both by hitting the polls and then wearing our ‘I Voted’ stickers with pride as we hit the streets.” Here’s a list of participating businesses and organizations (see the LOWV Facebook page for updates):
- Against the Grain– Apple cider and a discount
- Baskin Robbins– First 31 with a sticker get a kids cone. After that buy 1 get one kids size cone free
- Benefit– Raffle
- Crew Cuts– Coupon
- Gates– Free cotton candy for kids with an adult purchase of salad bar. Happy Hour bar menu available 12-6 and Disney Movies on the TVS
- J Crew– Coupon
- Jaafar Tazi– 10% off services
- Jade– 20% off any one item
- Lynn Evans– 20% Off
- Nantucket Monogram– Raffle for monogramed Umbrella
- New Canaan Music– Raffle and 60% off Melissa and Doug Merchandise
- Organika– Gift card Raffle
- Palomino Bazaar– 10% off and raffle
- Performing Arts Conservatory– 11-1 movie drop off for the first 15 people to sign up
- Press Burger– Free order of fries with purchase of hamburger
- Rosie– Coffee
- She La la– Raffle for gift card
- Stewart’s Spirits– Taste of CT Tasting
- Swirl– First 20 customers free, 20% after that
- The Studio– drop Off 10am-8pm for movies. 20-25 child limit at a time
- Upper Crust– Free Coffee with every purchase over $5
- Vineyard Vines– Whale sticker
- Walter Stewarts– Coffee and a raffle for a gift card
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Speaking of Election Day, the New Canaan Registrars of Voters have added 316 registered voters to the rolls in the past month. In all, since Oct. 1—with some people moving away, for example—New Canaan has netted 276 total additional voters. Since Oct. 1, the number of Republicans has increased by 29, Democrats by 107, Unaffiliated by 135 and “Other” by five. Here’s the party count:
New Canaan Voter Count—Nov. 1, 2018
| Total | Rep | Dem | Unaf | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Townwide | 14,074 | 6,314 | 3,093 | 4,511 | 156 |
| By local voting district | |||||
| #1 | 7,538 | 3,523 | 1,587 | 2,350 | 78 |
| #2 | 4,286 | 1,801 | 1,013 | 1,415 | 57 |
| #3 | 2,250 | 990 | 493 | 746 | 21 |
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studiO on Park Street is hosting a teacher training that Director of Yoga Casey McBride will run with another instructor, Molly Lehman. The 200-hour teacher training stats Jan. 7. Contact myyoga9@yahoo.com for more information or apply here in the contact form fields.
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Following this year’s Veterans Day ceremony on God’s Acre, a bronze plaque commemorating those who lost their lives in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks will be unveiled at the World Trade Center relic in front of the New Canaan Firehouse. A brief ceremony is to be held at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 11. All are welcome to attend and a reception will be held afterward.
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The Town Clerk as of Thursday had issued 1,176 absentee ballots, and will open the office from 12 to 2 p.m. Saturday for absentee balloting. Town Clerk Claudia Weber underscored that Connecticut does not allow “early voting.” Those seeking to cast absentee ballots must do so for one of six reasons, by law: they’re serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, are absent from town during voting hours, are ill, are prevented from voting on Election Day for religious reasons, have official polling place duties elsewhere or have a physical disability.
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Congratulations to New Canaan Police Department Officer and 1994 New Canaan High School graduate Ron Bentley on receiving the Community Policing Award from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Here’s part of a nomination made on Bentley’s behalf: “Officer Ron Bentley has been a member of the New Canaan Police Department since 2005.Following a brazen daytime violent robbery of a local jewelry store, the New Canaan business community was terrified that this type of crime might happen again. It was at that time, the New Canaan Police Department decided to create the position of Community Impact Officer. Officer Bentley was appointed to that position and is responsible for the New Canaan business district. He has built strong relationships with business owners and residents, and has created a sense of safety and community in the center of town.Officer Bentley helped implement ‘Coffee with a Cop’ to further foster positive relationships between police officers and the community. He has helped to deter criminal activity, and overall has made the center of New Canaan a safer place to visit. In addition to his work downtown, Officer Bentley has worked with the town’s youth through his role as baseball coach for the New Canaan High School Varsity Baseball Team and was a previous School Resource Officer at New Canaan High School.”