Did You Hear … ?

Officials said Wednesday that New Canaan is on track by year’s end to qualify for its first four-year moratorium from the Affordable Housing Appeals Act—a state law that allows developers to skirt local planning officials if a project designates a certain number of units as “affordable,” under a definition that’s extremely difficult for the town to achieve. Scott Hobbs, chairman of the New Canaan Housing Authority, said during a regular meeting of the Town Council that the first phase of a project at Millport Avenue is a “little bit ahead of schedule.”

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At the suggestion of New Canaan Police Chief Leon Krolikowski, the Police Commission at the start of its meeting Wednesday night opened with a moment of silence. It was “for all of the violence that is happening and for officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge,” the chief said during the meeting, held at the New Canaan Police Department.

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A pair of highway workers for the state walked the median of the Merritt Parkway for about two miles in the oppressive heat last Friday afternoon to find an injured red-tailed hawk there, according to Officer Allyson Halm, head of the NCPD’s Animal Control section. That hawk—and another that was found injured on a Southwood Drive home’s deck on the same day—went to a rehab group in Wilton but unfortunately were too far gone to cure, and had to be put down, Halm said.

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The Town Council on Wednesday approved a measure that will see local voters on Election Day (Nov. 8) vote on series of changes to the New Canaan’s governing document. The five recommended changes to the Town Charter (see the full report from the Charter Revision Commission embedded below, with a summary of changes on page 4) include the divisive question of whether the first selectman should be allowed to serve also as chairman of the Board of Finance.

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Many thanks to New Canaan’s Susan Bergen for sharing with us the photo at left. It’s a scary-looking Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillar that she found in her garden. “The large colored spots may look like giant eyes but they are fake,” Bergen told us. “They give the caterpillar a menacing appearance which is meant to scare off predators. This kind of caterpillar feeds on the leaves of Spicebush and Sassafras trees. When mature, it will spin a cocoon and eventually hatch into a beautiful black and blue butterfly.” Very cool!

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We checked in with New Canaanite Jul Qela, who opened her eponymous hair salon on Cherry Street just a few months ago. We asked the Jul’s Salon owner: What’s the most surprising thing she’s experienced since opening? “The feeling of excitement and fear. Stepping into the leader’s seat, setting the vision for the team by being kind and at the same firm.” And what’s something Jul wishes that she knew before launching Jul’s Salon? “I wish I knew how important are the non-negotiable things. Respect each other, create a culture of trust and gratitude.” Sounds like a good recipe. Here’s the salon on Facebook.

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Finally, our summer intern Maura Kelley on Monday attended the NC Ram Football Association’s 17^th Annual Alumni Golf Tournament & Touchdown Dinner. Here are some photos from the day at Woodway Country Club:

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Here’s the Charter Revision Commission’s report:

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