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Politics & Government

Stormy Weather, Possible Referendum and Restitution Begins

Week in Review, March 6 - 13, 2011

It was a week that with flood warnings and wet weather in New Canaan. As residents will soon usher in spring, heavy rain this week served as a reminder of the March storm of 2010 that brought hurricane-like winds and damage to Fairfield County.

This week, local officials remember the March 13-14, 2010 storm that was only forecast to bring 40 mph winds but resulted in gusts upwards of 65 mph. It across the county, left and .

New Canaan Assistant Fire Chief Jack Hennessey said residents must be prepared to have no electricity or water for 48 hours because the nature of a regional emergency means CL&P must determine which areas they can get the most people back online sooner. Residents should also be sure to have sump pumps on hand in the event of basement flooding because the fire department doesn't have equipment to pump them out, he said.

Find out what's happening in New Canaanwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Speaking of “stormy” times in New Canaan, members of a citizen-led campaign to force a referendum on $4 million in roadwork projects are pounding the pavement to collect the necessary signatures needed by the town to move forward in the electoral process. A total of 627 signatures would have to be filed with the Town Clerk by April 2, at which point the Town Council would have to set the date and time of the referendum.

The development comes as town residents debate the merits of spending money to address road works. After hearing pointed comments from New Canaan residents, a subcommittee of the Town Council Tuesday night voted 4-1 in favor of a and proposed $400,000 sidewalk and paving project on Main Street.

Find out what's happening in New Canaanwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Restitution has begun rolling in from the  students who  parts of New Canaan High School's exterior and Dunning Field in the Blue Wave's royal blue colors prior to last November’s  the ' annual head-to-head football game.

The students – four 17-year-olds and one 15-year-old – were players for Darien's football team at the time of the incident. All were granted anonymity by the courts. Stamford attorney Mark Sherman, who is representing the 15-year-old and one 17-year-old, said Friday his clients had made their payments. 

“It was a priority for us to make the town whole,” he said. The students are paying for the cost of painting over the vandalism, estimated to be $7,500 or $1,500 each. 

In other sports news, New Canaan native Max Pacioretty, who is in his third season with the Montreal Canadiens, suffered a severe concussion and fractured vertebrae after receiving a violent hit in Tuesday's game with the Boston Bruins in Montreal.

Speaking to the media following Wednesday's practice, Canadiens coach Jacques Martin said the 22-year-old Pacioretty fractured his fourth cervical vertebrae but that it is not displaced. Martin indicated that Pacioretty will remain hospitalized for further observation.

The weather so far this March has been a combination of lion and lamb. We've had warm, clear days, bone-chilling blustery days and some showers that would make April blush.

As we approach the third week of the month, check out our photo gallery, which captures the end of winter 2011, and the promise of spring. And enjoy that extra hour of daylight today!

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