Around Town

‘It Was Life-Changing’: NCHS Grad Gives Back To Program Supporting Women with Breast Cancer

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When she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in March 2011—soon to undergo chemotherapy, radiation and two surgeries for a lumpectomy—Karen Tiani Hussey felt that she needed to do something for herself. The 1983 New Canaan High School graduate’s friends knew that she had breast cancer, but didn’t truly understand how she felt while fighting the disease. Soon she heard about a two-day retreat in upstate Connecticut for women in all stages of breast cancer. “For me, it was life-changing,” Tiani recalled on a recent morning, one of about 20 people including several New Canaan firefighters gathered outside Town Hall and wearing pink ‘Casting for Recovery’ T-shirts during a mini-rally for this Breast Cancer Awareness Month. “The camaraderie among the women.

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Chief: Fire at Silver Ridge Road Home Causes Significant Damage; Minor Injury to New Canaan Firefighter

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A New Canaan firefighter sustained a minor injury Saturday evening while fighting a blaze that caused significant damage to a Silver Ridge Road home. Nobody was home at the time the fire was reported by a passerby at 5 p.m., according to a press release from New Canaan Fire Department Chief Jack Hennessey. The fire caused significant damage to the first floor of the home at 48 Silver Ridge Road, smoke and heat damage to the second floor and water damage to the basement, according to the press release. New Canaan Police were first on scene and confirmed there was nobody at home, Hennessey said. The fire was brought under control with mutual aid assistance from the Norwalk, Wilton and Vista, N.Y. Fire Departments, he said.

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New Canaan Firefighters Control Oenoke Ridge Blaze after Underground Propane Tank Ignites

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Firefighters on Monday finished a full 23-hour controlled burn-off of an underground propane tank on Oenoke Ridge Road that had ignited over the weekend, officials said. The New Canaan Fire Department around 11:45 a.m. Monday responded to the burning tank, which ignited after a leak had been caused by work being done on it, according to Fire Chief Jack Hennessey. One individual working on the tank suffered minor injuries as a result, officials said. Firefighters immediately contained the fire and controlled the leak, fully burning off the propane inside the tank in order to eliminate the hazard, Hennessey said. Specifically, firefighters sprayed a water mist “to disperse unburned propane vapors that were leaking from the damaged tank to prevent an uncontrolled ignition,” he said.

Around Town

Winter Storm Dumps 13 Inches of Snow on New Canaan [PHOTOS]

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An estimated 13 inches of snow blanketed New Canaan on Thursday, forcing dozens of local businesses to close as public works crews worked around-the-clock on town roads amid strong winds and freezing temperatures. The New Canaan Public Schools will open on a two-hour delay on Friday, district officials announced:

NCHS – 9:30 a.m.
Saxe grades 7/8 – 9:30 a.m.
Saxe grades 5/6 – 10:20 a.m.
South – 10:15 a.m.
East and West – 11:05 a.m.

New Canaan Police reported one minor storm-related accident in town while Fire Chief Jack Hennessey urged residents to shovel around hydrants, keep their house numbers visible and plow long driveways for access by EMTs and other emergency responders. First Selectman Rob Mallozzi commended the New Canaan Department of Public Works’ Highway and Parks employees on doing “a fantastic job.”

“They are real pros,” Mallozzi told NewCanaanite.com. Officials expect storm cleanup—clearing the roads and piling snow in designated lots—to take eight-plus hours “and we should be good to go by the morning.”

New Canaan Library and Town Hall also were closed Thursday. DPW Director Tiger Mann said that the heavy snow came down “very hard throughout the day” and that town equipment saw mechanical breakdowns “but that is par for the course during long snow events.”

The National Weather Service issued a bulletin late Thursday urging motorists to be cautions, as gusts blowing up to 45 mph could re-cover roads that had been cleared earlier.

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PHOTOS: 8-Car Accident Snarls Merritt Parkway Traffic in New Canaan on Thursday Afternoon

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New Canaan’s emergency responders rushed to the Merritt Parkway late Thursday morning on a report of a multiple vehicle accident. Eight cars were involved in the crash, according to New Canaan Fire Department Chief Jack Hennessey. Those involved suffered only minor injuries, he said. The Connecticut Department of Transportation reported at 12:19 p.m. that the accident occurred in the southbound lane of the parkway, about one mile north of Exit 35 in Stamford. Traffic on the southbound side of the parkway had backed up above Exit 36 and even past Exit 37 as a result.

It isn’t clear what caused the accident or whether any motorists involved face charges.