Did You Hear … ?

Our condolences to Betsey, Mark, Carrie and the entire Fowler family on the passing Wednesday of Jim Fowler at age 89. He has left an indelible mark on New Canaan and well beyond. Here’s a story we published on the occasion of the Silvermine-Fowler Preserve’s opening in October 2017, one piece of Fowler’s considerable legacy. Here’s a tribute to Fowler from the New Canaan Land Trust. Above is a video from New Canaanite Connor DeMayo.

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The arrest of former New Canaan Public Schools Food Services Director Bruce Gluck, made last week in connection with the lunch ladies’ case, grew out of an investigation that had been launched by the first selectman’s office, officials said Thursday. Asked about a line item in a recent legal bill from Westport-based Berchem Moses PC, First Selectman Kevin Moynihan said during a press briefing that Bruce Gluck had applied in early 2018 for a disability pension, and that the town launched an investigation during which the state’s attorney secured bank records that led to the 61-year-old’s arrest. The pension fund will save about $37,000 per year, he said. The town has spent $15,770 on legal expenses in a “review of BOE food services thefts,” according to the most recent bill from the town attorney’s firm.

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The Hannah Benedict Carter Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution bestowed a DAR Historic Preservation Award on the Merritt Parkway Conservancy at the organization’s Annual Chapter Dinner at the Roger Sherman Inn in New Canaan. 

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This year’s speaker for the ceremony that follows the Memorial Day Parade, in Lakeview Cemetery, will be Aaron Hall, who served honorably as a U.S. Army captain and intelligence officer from 2004 to 2014, primary with the 10th Mountain Division (light infantry) and 5th Special Forces Group (airborne), as well as with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Husband to his wife Kristin, and their two children, Abigail, 2, and Theodore, six months, Hall moved to New Canaan in October 2018. He completed two combat deployments to Iraq during the Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn campaigns, and also served on Foreign Internal Defense missions to the Middle East training fellow members of Special Forces. He received the Meritorious Service Medal, five Army Commendation Medals, two Valorous Unit Awards, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, two Iraqi Campaign Medals with Campaign Stars, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Parachutist Badge, German Armed Forces Badge and German Language Proficiency. He works at UBS Financial Services in Greenwich.

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The New Canaan Conservation Commission and Wildlife in Crisis will release of four bluebirds and a cedar waxwing at the Bristow Nature Park next to Mead Park at 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 11. The release will take place by the small pond near the Old Stamford Road entrance to the 16.8-acre Bristow Preserve. Those arriving by car should park by the Mead Park baseball fields and follow the signs to the Bristow entrance. The four orphaned bluebirds had been brought to Wildlife in Crisis last summer, raised and spent the winter in a flight cage. The cedar waxwing was brought in suffering from a wing fracture and starvation.

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Le Pain Quotidien on Elm Street on May 2 scored 97 points out of a possible 100 during an unannounced health inspection. Three non-risk-factor violations cited by a New Canaan Health Department sanitarian included storing a dish rack on the floor.

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Sunday, May 5 was a rainy day, but it did not stop BSA Troop 70 from installing a set of senior-friendly garden boxes at the Schoolhouse Apartments. The Schoolhouse an HUD elderly affordable and adaptable (disabled) Housing Unit on South Avenue. William “Will” Winalski who is a member of BSA Troop 70 and working on Eagle Scout led the project for the Scouts.

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Bankwell officials met with Moynihan this week, he said, and the two parties are in trying to negotiate a price for the town to sell to the bank the .73 acres under which the Bankwell-owned building at in which its headquarters at 220 Elm St. is located. Officials representing Talmadge Hill Community Church also are in talks with the first selectman about acquiring town-owned land at Lapham Road below the Merritt Parkway as the church looks to move catty-corner from its current location.

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Congratulations to Lawrence Ciambriello on being promoted to general manager at New Canaan’s DEANE Inc., a custom cabinet design firm, where he’s been working since joining as assistant project manager 23 years ago. Lawrence is a graduate of the Sacred Heart University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business management and advertising. He lives in Trumbull and is married with five children.

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The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday voted 3-0 to remove Budget Director Lunda Asmani from probationary status. Moynihan said Asmani is doing “great work” and that his “long hours and hard work” are appreciated.

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New Canaan band Sideways played a fundraiser at Murphy’s Pub in Newtown to benefit Dylan’s Wings of Change, a foundation dedicated to the memory of Dylan Hockley, who was killed in the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Sloan Alexander will join Ian Hockley and Nick Waaler and the Dylan’s Wings of Change team for this weekend’s Ragnar Race in Cape Cod. 

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Bankwell recently donated $7,500 to the Carver Foundation of Norwalk to help fund gymnasium enhancements needed to expand the organization’s basketball programs. Each year, a Bankwell employee is recognized for leadership, teamwork and dedication to community service. The bank’s Lucy French, AVP & Marketing Manager, received the honor in January for her tireless and dedicated efforts and in return donated $2,500 to the basketball programs at the Carver Community Center. Her gift and dedication to Carver inspired Bankwell to donate an additional $5,000 for a total donation of $7,500.

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Congratulations to New Canaan Police Officer David Payne on being promoted to sergeant. A Bowdoin College graduate who earned a master’s degree in justice administration from Western Connecticut State University, he has served with the department since 2005.

Payne will work the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift, Chief Leon Krolikowski said in a press release. He’s been assigned various positions in the past, including Dispatcher, Dispatch Coordinator, E-911 Administrator, Accreditation Officer, Acting Sergeant and Field Training Officer, the chief said. Payne is also a member of the Honor Guard and an Accident Reconstructionist for the department. Prior to joining our department, he worked for five years as a policeman in Bridgeport.  Payne was the recipient of a meritorious police duty award and a medical service award. He has also earned the Mothers Against Drunk Driving award as well as commendations for exceptional performance of his duties.

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Finally, the Exchange Club of New Canaan participated in the Homefront Program Day on Sunday. The local service organization had 30-plus members and family painting the exterior of the house and lawn clean-up for a family in Norwalk: