COLUMNS
The Mail Arrives, and Arthur Smith Reminds Us All What Service Means
By Frank Gaudio I am always looking for people who make a place better just by showing up. That sounds simple. It is not. Showing
Dominic
August 13, 2023
The Medical Checklist Every College Parent Needs
By Teresa Alasio MD Sending a child off to college is one of those moments that sneaks up on you. One minute you are packing
Dominic
August 13, 2023
Eat This, Drink That: Burger Beginnings
Recipes, Wines, and a Few Thoughts in Between By Carl Franco Memorial Day has arrived, summer has started, and that means it’s time to reclaim
Dominic
August 13, 2023
Why Natives? The Incredible Value in Native Gardening
By Frank Gallo There is a growing movement towards the planting of native plants in gardens instead of using non-natives, and a mounting push towards
Dominic
August 13, 2023
Honoring Veterans at America’s 250th
By Elizabeth Barhydt My great-grandfather, Charles Henry Webb, was a military chaplain. I still have his field Book of Common Prayer. It is a treasure.
Dominic
August 13, 2023
Maybe It Is a Big Deal
By Icy Frantz “It’s not an important birthday.” “We can celebrate next year.” “It’s no big deal.” Those are often our first responses when joy
Dominic
August 13, 2023
The Cost of Control: Weighing Connecticut’s Mandates Against a Changing Virus
By Russell R. Barksdale In the ongoing debate over public health and personal liberty, Connecticut has positioned itself as a leader in stringent vaccination policy.
Dominic
August 13, 2023
Honoring Veterans at America’s 250th
A Line That Held: The Life and War of Samuel John Murray By Elizabeth Barhydt If you know Frank Murray, you know he is a
Dominic
August 13, 2023
A Confession
By Bobbi Eggers I have a confession to make. In a world where everyone is glued to their phones, scrolling through feeds pushed on us
Dominic
August 13, 2023
Public Engagement on Affordable Housing, Charter Revision and Public Safety
By Dionna Carlson As we move through the month of May, our community continues to engage thoughtfully on a number of important issues while also
Dominic
August 13, 2023
What Kids Really Wish We Knew
By Shari L. Shapiro One of my favorite things about my job is leaving my office and walking downstairs. At Kids In Crisis, our shelter
Dominic
August 13, 2023
Eat This, Drink That: Cinqo de Mayo Recipes, Wines, and a Few Thoughts in Between
By Carl Franco Yes, I’m late to the party. Cinco de Mayo came and went and I did not get this article done before May
Dominic
August 13, 2023
Gray May
Why Connecticut Must Act for Children with Brain Cancer By Mairead Finn May is Brain Cancer Awareness Month. It is also known as “Gray May,”
Dominic
August 13, 2023
Belmont Park Village Turns Islanders Game Night Into a Day Out Worth the Trip
By Emma Barhydt A trip to Long Island has to earn itself. Home already has good restaurants, handsome shops, and the easy rhythm of a
Dominic
August 13, 2023
Honoring Veterans at America’s 250th
By Elizabeth Barhydt The third article in this 10-part series begins where the first two naturally lead. The series began with Major Sullivan Ballou’s Civil
Dominic
August 13, 2023
Noah Kahan’s The Great Divide Finds the Whole World at the End of August
By Emma Whitney I am so completely moved by Noah Kahan’s new album, The Great Divide. As a New Englander, as someone with complex sibling
Dominic
August 13, 2023
Hook, Line, and Sink Her
By Russell R. Barksdale, Jr. She gleams. We say it without thinking. The yacht at harbor—she’s a beauty. The sports car idling at the light—look
Dominic
August 13, 2023
The Last of the Bugs
By Emma Barhydt I always get itchy right around the middle of May. Like a migratory bird, pure predilection: north… go north. My bags are
Dominic
August 13, 2023
EDITORIAL
For Aggie, a Toast and a Thank You | EDITORIAL
May 29, 2026
Sometimes a town is held together by people who never announce they are holding it together. They open the doors. They make the coffee. They remember who came last week and who did not. They know which
Kept by Hand | EDITORIAL
May 22, 2026
The town will mark the holiday this year with a parade and ceremony sponsored by the Town of New Canaan and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Howard Bossa and Peter Langenus Post 653. The parade is scheduled
The Argument Worth Having | EDITORIAL
May 15, 2026
A community newspaper’s editorial page is not a pledge of agreement. It is an invitation to citizenship. The New Canaan Sentinel does not endorse every opinion it prints. No serious newspaper does. To publish a letter or
OPINION
Collective Sigh of Thanks to the Town Council | LETTER
Dear Editor, As New Canaan residents enjoy our backyards on this quiet Memorial Day afternoon, the town seems to be
Great job Affordable Housing Commission! | LETTER
I would like to thank the Affordable Housing Commission for the thoughtful and well-executed workshop held Tuesday evening at the
Hartford votes are local votes | LETTER
To the Editor: New Canaan voters should judge state housing policy by roll-call votes, not slogans. The decisions that reshape
The Scandal Isn’t What’s Illegal
By Carol Platt Liebau Connecticut’s politics were jolted recently by the dramatic withdrawal of former New Britain mayor Erin Stewart
Weed Street, Arnold Karp and the affordable-housing trade-off
To the Editor: The Weed Street dispute should be judged by what it would produce, not by the label attached
The 2025 Legislative Session: The Good, the Bad, and the Road Ahead | OP-ED
By Carol Platt Liebau Connecticut’s legislative session drew to a close last week. As president of Yankee Institute, one of
A Note of Gratitude | LETTER
May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. On behalf of NAMI Southwest CT, (National Alliance for Mental Illness) I would
Connecticut’s Section 8-30g Law: Dumb and Dumber | OP-ED
Once in a while legislative bodies come up with a well-meaning but hopelessly misguided law. So misguided that a reasonable
New Canaan Chose Compromise. Two or Three Neighbors Shouldn’t Stop That. | OP-ED
By: 751 Weed Street LLC This week, shovels are going into the ground at 751 Weed Street and one of
Connecticut Labor Bill Expands Employer Liability Even After Revisions | OPINION
The Connecticut House passed a sweeping omnibus labor bill Tuesday (Apr 28) on a 117-29 vote, following a series of
Preserving Local Boards of Education
The General Assembly is considering a new bill that would alter the balance of authority in Connecticut’s public schools by
Let Connecticut Offer Opportunity at Home
Connecticut has a rare opportunity before it. The question is straightforward: Will we allow new investment in our students to
Connecticut Can Protect Voting Rights and Election Integrity | LETTER
Connecticut Can Protect Voting Rights and Election Integrity — We Don’tHave to Choose The Hartford Courant recently highlighted concerns from
Yes to Leaf Blower Ordinance | LETTER
Dear Editor, Some have raised concerns about the cost for landscaping companies to transition away from gas-powered leaf blowers. While
The Public Health Case Against Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers — It’s Not Just the Noise | LETTER
I’ve spoken to a lot of people about gas leaf blowers, and nearly everyone has been outspoken against them. It’s
SEBAC Contracts Being Negotiated Now
Connecticut has long been known as the land of steady habits. Across the state, people rise early, often before dawn,