Did You Hear … ?

 

1996 New Canaan High School graduate Toriano Fredericks is about halfway to his $15,000 goal in an online fundraising campaign in support of his vision for a food truck in the Durham area of North Carolina that features “bold flavors mixing Southern Soul, Caribbean Flair and Euro-African Roots.” Tori is a fellow Parade Hill Road native and we absolutely wish him the very best of luck in his venture. His “Boricua Food Truck” (nicknamed the “The Soul Patrol,” you can “like” his business here on Facebook) is named “from the Taíno name for Puerto Rico, Boriquen, Boricuas were the natives who lived in what is known today as Puerto Rico,” the business’s website says. “Puerto Rican Boricua means ‘Brave and noble lord.’ Borinquen means ‘Land of the brave and noble lords.’ ” Check out the video above for more of Toriano’s story, and click here for information on how to back his venture through Kickstarter. Good luck, Tori!

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Firefighters at 7:17 p.m. last Thursday responded to a report of a fire at the Playhouse on Elm Street after a smoke detector in the lobby was triggered. Officials say it probably was burnt popcorn.

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The Planning & Zoning Commission on Tuesday night voted 8-1 to deny a Lukes Wood Road resident’s request to allow higher-than-allowed pillars and gates in their driveway. Commissioner John Kriz said it all was “very well-constructed and pretty” yet it was “big and had a bunker like quality.”

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New Canaan Olive Oil on Elm Street worked with 109 Cheese & Wine in Ridgefield to source a variety of fresh cheeses for its new cheese refrigerator in the shop. Check it out.

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Animal Control officials on Tuesday afternoon received a call of a red-tailed hawk just off of Exit 37 of the Merritt Parkway that had a broken wing.

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Pryority Wellness is offering an integrated, individualized health and wellness program entitled, “6 Weeks to Optimum Health” beginning Sept. 8 at its Wellness Center at Halo Studios, located at 45 Grove St. The program includes individualized fitness and wellness programs, nutrition counseling, cooking classes (lunch included), massage therapy, unlimited access to the Halo Fitness studio and more. For more about the program, or other services available at Pryority Wellness, interested parties can contact Julie Pryor at 203-594-1552 or Julie@pryoritywellness.com.

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New Canaan Police on Friday brought a felony charge of first-degree forgery—as well as conspiracy to commit first-degree forgery, fifth-degree larceny and conspiracy to commit fifth-degree larceny—against a 26-year-old Orange, N.J. man who is accused of passing counterfeit $100 bills at Walgreens in May.

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P&Z on Tuesday unanimously approved the Special Permit for Charles and Sarah Robinson of 4 Carter St.—owners of a 1737-built saltbox that is said to be the second-oldest home in New Canaan—so that they can erect an antique barn (purchased and carefully disassembled) on their property. Read more about their project here.

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The New Canaan Community Foundation has launched its second annual “I [Heart] New Canaan Photo Contest” (see the terrific photos taken for last year’s contest here), with a deadline of Monday, Oct. 5. A flyer for the contest shared by NCCF says: “Send us your photos illustrating something you love about our special town—people, places or activities that make New Canaan a great place to live.” Winners receive $250 (1^st place), $150 (2^nd), $75 (3^rd) and $100 for the Youth winner. Contact the NCCF for more information at 203-966-0231.

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We’re hearing that the increasingly popular, co-ed New Canaan Flag Football League‘s camp saw record numbers of kids participating earlier this month. Congratulations to Craig Hunt and the NCFFL crew!

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New Canaan Police say they’re stepping up efforts to target motorists violating traffic laws near public schools. With the first day of school set for this Thursday, officers in marked and unmarked cars for speeding, distracted driving, passing school buses and other violations. “The New Canaan Police Department is committed to the safety of our children,” Police Chief Leon Krolikowski said in a press release.

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Glastonbury-based S/L/A/M Construction Services has announced that construction started on the 28,000-square-foot mixed use building for Cross Street. The 3-story building will include 7,000 square feet of retail space and 12 residential units. New Canaan’s Arnold Karp, president of 4M Capital Trust, which owns the Cross Street property, said in a press release: “The new building will be the first to provide New Canaan with many of the key elements of the recently adopted town Plan of Conservation and Development: denser infill development in selected areas that add continuity and vitality to our walkable downtown district. We worked extensively with the town to create a scale of project and an aesthetic that fits into the New Canaan fabric.”

 

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Finally, with summer break ending—and perhaps high school and college students returning to classes—some local retailers downtown have posted “Help Wanted” signs in their windows. Here is a gallery of those businesses, as well as some recently vacated or temporarily shuttered storefronts downtown: