The Town of New Canaan is joining forces with the Chamber of Commerce and Planet New Canaan for the 2023 Clean Your Mile.
For the past several years, the Clean Your Mile effort has included three key components — New Canaan citizens individually tackling neighborhoods; community groups scouring public spaces, including parks and schools; and the chamber’s efforts with merchants to clean up sidewalks, storage areas and parking spaces surrounding the shops and restaurants in the downtown village district.
Clean Your Mile is scheduled for the week of April 17 through 23, according to a press release from the town, but residents are welcome to participate anytime. As in the past, volunteers, youth groups and civic organizations are asked to clean the parks, parking lots, schools and public areas where they have volunteered in previous years. Families are asked to organize neighborhood teams to clean up roadside trash on their street.
As each group finishes its cleanup, volunteers are asked to notify the town’s highway department with the location of bags for pick up by calling 203-594-3704. Volunteers are asked to secure bags for pick up and place on grassy shoulder and not along roadways.
Garbage bags and a limited supply of grabbers for loan are available for pick up at the Town Hall Public Works Department or Inland Wetlands. Dumpsters will be located in the train station commuter lot Friday through Sunday. Remember to work safe when cleaning roadsides.
Ballet icon is featured speaker
New Canaan Library will host world-famous ballerina Misty Copeland for a discussion of her art, her journey, and her latest book, “Wind at My Back: Resilience, Grace and Other Gifts from my Mentor, Raven Wilkinson.”
The discussion is set for 7 p.m. April 24 in the Jim & Dede Bartlett Auditorium of the library, 151 Main St. The presentation will be preceded by a light reception at 6:30 p.m.; registration for the event is online at newcananlibrary.org.
“The Wind at My Back” tells the story of two unapologetically Black ballerinas, their friendship and how they changed each other — and the dance world — forever, the library said in a press release. Copeland shares her own struggles with racism and exclusion in her pursuit of this dream career and honors the women like Wilkinson who paved the way for her but whose contributions have gone unheralded. She celebrates the connection she made with her mentor, the only teacher who could truly understand the obstacles she faced, beyond the technical or artistic demands.
Copeland began her ballet studies at the late age of 13 and joined American Ballet Theatre’s Studio Company in September 2000, joined American Ballet Theatre as a member of the corps de ballet in April 2001, and in August 2007 became the company’s second Black female soloist and the first in two decades. In June 2015, Misty was promoted to principal dancer, making her the first Black woman to ever be promoted to the position in the company’s 75-year history. She is the author of the memoir “Life in Motion, Ballerina Body” and several picture books.
Fun run to help nonprofit
Filling in the Blanks will host its fifth annual Unite to Fight 5K, which will be run on a course in Waveny Park in New Canaan on April 2.
The race will help raise money to fulfill the mission of Filling in the Blanks, a Norwalk-based nonprofit that fights childhood hunger by providing children in need with weekend meals.
FITB provides for more than 4,900 children at 140 sites throughout Fairfield County and Westchester County, N.Y.
As the organization enters its 10th year, it says the need for its weekend meal bag program continues to grow, and it anticipates adding 2,000 children to the program by the end of April.
FITB said it purchases 99 percent of the food for the program, making events such as The Unite to Fight 5K “crucial for increased needs in local communities.”
Race check-in begins at 7:30 a.m. April 2, with the kid’s fun run at 8:15 a.m., followed by the 5K run/walk at 8:45 a.m. Register at https://runsignup.com/Race/CT/NewCanaan/UnitetoFight.
For more information on Filling in the Blanks, visit www.fillingintheblanks.org/
Town Democrats to honor Corbet, Rashin
New Canaan Democrats will honor local officials Kathleen Corbet and Penny Rashin at its May, in connection with this year’s theme “The Courage to Lead and Serve.”
The fundraiser will take place 4:30 p.m. May 7 at the Woodway Country Club.
Corbet first joined the Board of Selectmen in 2020, after serving New Canaan in a variety of other capacities on boards and commissions, as well as interim chief financial officer. She has more than 35 years experience as a leader in global finance and board governance.
Rashin, a retired attorney, has been committed to ensuring New Canaan’s public school students continue to benefit from an education that ranks among the best in the state. She is now serving her fourth term on the Board of Education.
“As Democrats and engaged New Canaan residents, we are grateful for the insights, leadership and dedication Kathleen and Penny demonstrate in their consistent, long-time leadership working for the town’s benefit”, said DTC Chairperson Christina Fagerstal. “It goes without saying these positions require long hours. Kathleen and Penny have time and again shown an understanding of what the town needs and an unwavering commitment to deliver the right solutions.”
For more information about the New Canaan Democrats and to sign up for the May 7 event honoring Kathleen Corbet and Penny Rashin, visit the New Canaan Democrats website at http://www.newcanaandems.info.