News

End of an Era: Danielle Simoneau Steps Down as NCHS Softball Coach; Joel Geriak Named Successor

By |

The highly successful and widely respected head coach of the New Canaan High School varsity softball team has stepped down, officials said Monday. Danielle Simoneau decided to make the change in order to watch her own daughter Makenzie—a freshman at Trumbull High School—play, according to NCHS Athletic Director Jay Egan. “We are very grateful for all the time and effort Danielle has given to build the softball program at NCHS and in the community,” Egan said in an email to softball families. “NCHS softball was a perennially weak program before Danielle came on board. We won an FCIAC Championship under her leadership and the youth softball program is viable option for girls in the spring.”

Named to the NCHS post in 2010, Simoneau herself was a standout pitcher, and powerful hitter, at Westhill High School in the early 1990s.

Around Town

Did You Hear … ?

By |

The aerial photos in the gallery above show the new turf being laid at the Water Tower Turf field at New Canaan High School and the final stages of drainage and grading for the NCHS track. Both projects are moving forward on schedule, and officials expect completion of the first turf field midweek next week and paving of the track by the end of next week. The project, estimated to cost $5.8 million is a public-private partnership between the town and New Canaan Athletic Foundation. ***

Town officials last month received an after-the-fact application to add a full bathroom in the basement of a New Canaan home. The bathroom at 31 Shady Knoll Lane went in “many years ago” and the job cost approximately $5,000, according to a building permit application received Sept.

Around Town

Did You Hear … ?

By |

New Canaan Fire Department officials at about 11:15 a.m. on Monday responded to a request from Officer Allyson Halm—head of the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control section—to assist in corralling a baby deer that had become trapped in a backyard on Millport Avenue. Halm said the firefighters were highly responsive and helpful, and the animal was freed. ***

The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday approved a contract between the Parks Department and Karl Chevrolet for two trucks: a new low-boy that will cost a net of $50,644 and a new pickup truck that will cost $41,670. Those costs reflect what officials called generous trade-in price discounts from the local dealership. “I think the Karls are being very nice to us,” First Selectman Rob Mallozzi said.

News

NCHS Athletic Director Calls for More Inter-Sport Support among Student-Athletes

By |

New Canaan High School’s athletic director said Monday night that he’d like to see more of the school’s athletes supporting fellow students who compete in matches and games in other sports. Jay Egan told members of the Board of Education at their regular meeting that he’s been at NCHS for a number of years and that inter-sport support “used to be more pronounced than it is now.”

“I think by coming up with some incentives and working with captains, to really get our athletes supporting each other more during their competitions would really be a good direction for us to move,” Egan said during the meeting, held in the Wagner Room at New Canaan High School. The comments came during a presentation in which Egan spotlighted outstanding Rams sports coaches Priscilla Schulz (girls’ golf) and Ben Young (boys’ tennis), reviewed athletics participation data, listed recent championships (state football, state boys swimming, state boys tennis and both county and state girls golf titles) and laid out Athletic Department goals for next academic year. Those will include improving the functionality of the Rams website, surveying athletes and parents after each sports season, developing a core values statement to integrate with all teams and seeing that more athletes support fellow athletes. Board of Ed member Maria Naughton said she was “surprised” that Egan had outlined that goal, “because I feel like the athletes are very supportive of each other.”

“And with some major percentage of our students in a sport, I am not sure how you can actually increase their presence,” she said.

News

New Canaan High School Celebrates Senior Athletes

By |

Graduating senior athletes and their families gathered Monday at New Canaan High School for the 36th Annual Varsity Senior Athletes’ Picnic & Athletic Awards. The event, which celebrates the achievements of seniors who participated in a varsity sport during their time at the high school, traditionally is held outdoors at Waveny, but was moved to the NCHS gymnasium this year due to weather concerns. With family members and coaches present, each senior athlete was awarded a plaque in recognition of his or her contribution. A handful of students received special honors, as follows:

Firstly, the Vin Iovino Scholarship Award was granted to field hockey star Mariana Ferreira, diving captain Katie Kushner, and football player Chris White. Named for former NCHS coach Vin Iovino, the scholarship is granted to senior athletes who exemplify the qualities of leadership, loyalty, and humility.