Salvatore Prochilo, owner of Prochilo Custom Tailor Shop, has been a tailor in New Canaan for 15 years and is now selling his shop so he can retire. But Prochilo, 80, isn’t just turning over his tape measure to anyone. Pavli Dashi, another master tailor, from Albania, is taking over the village tailor shop.

Prochilo’s tailoring career all started when he was just 10 years old, and outside of school, became an apprentice in his hometown, Calabria, Italy. He tried being an apprentice as an iron worker, carpenter and other tradesmen, but his mother convinced him to become an apprentice with a master tailor and he decided that would be his trade of choice. His inspiration for becoming a tailor stems from his brother, who was a tailor, as well as his mother, who was a seamstress.

At the age of 12, he moved to Rome with his mother, two sisters and five brothers, where he resumed his apprenticeship towards eventually becoming a master tailor.

In his apprenticeship, he learned how to handle small stitches, needles and different kinds of stitches. “The progress took years, many years,” said Prochilo. “It is like going from elementary school to college. That is the parallel of tailors.”

He started to make custom clothing in his late 20s and also started tailoring on his own. He now does all kinds of clothing alterations, including making suits by hand. Creating one jacket takes 105 hours of work since it done by hand down to every last stitch. Some of his customers pay as much as $3,800 or more for a custom-tailored suit.

Since 1999, he has been open six days a week in his little tailor shop right above The Beach Corner at 102 Main St. He is one of the 10 master tailors in the United States that does custom tailoring and does everything by hand. His customers come to New Canaan from surrounding towns such as Wilton and Greenwich, as well as New York and New Jersey, and some of them have been coming to the him for 40 years.

“What made me choose New Canaan was the ambiance, the kindness of people and the fact that equal to Greenwich residents, they have a taste for quality and workmanship,” he said.

Dashi’s experience

Prochilo said he is pleased that Dashi will take over the business and continue the custom-tailoring legacy.

Dashi was born in Albania, and grew up with a father who was a tailor and mother who was a seamstress. Years later he became a tailor.

“He practically grew up in the tailor shop as a kid and played with the pins, needles, buttons and spools when he was a little boy — they were his toys,” said Prochilo. “As he was growing up he became a tailor with his father.”

When Dashi was a young man he moved to Milan, Italy, to become a master tailor. He first began his work as master tailor in Caraceni and then Campagna, where he worked as a full tailor. He then worked at Laboratorio Italiano where he was a button maker and cutter. Laboratorio Italiano is where all the major tailors in Europe and the world make suits from scratch. He then worked for a year in New York City and eventually was told to go to New Canaan to check out Prochilo’s shop. And the rest is history.

Prochilo hopes that people who have been faithful customers will continue to come for Dashi.

As for him, he plans to maybe teach after he retires and take up drawing, painting and drafting patterns or designs of garments or dresses.

A changing of the guard has occurred at Prochilo Custom Tailor on Main Street, as Salvatore Prochilo, right, has sold his business to another master tailor, Pavli Dashi, on left. Prochilo is retiring at the age of 75. (Kendall Hartzell photo)

John Engel

John Engel of New Canaan has joined Barbara Cleary’s Realty Guild’s management team as a partner, vice president and sales manager.

Additionally, his mother, Susan Engel, a top producer, former Realtor of the Year and 30-year veteran of New Canaan real estate, has joined the firm.

Engel began his real estate career in Greenwich and has been a top producing agent in New Canaan for the past five years, as well as a real estate sales manager. He was a member of the New Canaan Zoning Board of Appeals for the past seven year and is serving on the Town Council. As the owner of two commercial buildings on Elm Street, he is knowledgeable in the areas of both real estate investment and development, according to a release.

Prior to his real estate career, he was the founder of two Internet businesses — Paper.com and e-Media — which he sold in 2000, after winning the Connecticut Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

A native of New Canaan, he graduated from New Canaan High School. Following his graduation from Davidson College in North Carolina, he served as an officer in the U.S. Army, leading a platoon during the Gulf War. He serves on the boards of the New Canaan Land Trust and Staying Put in New Canaan.

William Sweet of New Canaan with some of his bees.

William Sweet of New Canaan loves bees. He loves them so much, he’ll hold them in his bare hands, his mother, Olga, said. She said they are gentle creatures. “This relationship is so good to see in times when we receive so much information on bees dying all over the world.”

Among a graduating class with no shortage of noteworthy individuals, New Canaan High School seniors Katherine “Kit” Mallozzi and John “Jack” Robey have been recognized as leaders among their peers. At a Board of Education meeting Monday evening, June 2, Dr. Mary Kolek, the school district’s superintendent, presented the two with the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE) Student Leadership Award. 

Only one male and one female in a CABE member district’s high school and middle school are eligible each year to receive the award, which Kolek noted takes into account leadership at school and in students’ personal lives.

“She’s one of the world’s great optimists,” Kolek said as she called on Mallozzi to receive the award, describing the senior as “someone who embraces life, a friend to all and a ray of sunshine.”

Kolek said Mallozzi’s high school career contains a number of examples of service and leadership. That includes working with the Student Advocates in her freshman year — which Mallozzi completed entry forms and interviewed for even though she was too young at the time to join, according to Kolek. The group’s leaders allowed Mallozzi to participate, however, because of the initiative she showed.

“It was a wise decision and a lucky day for New Canaan High School,” Kolek said. “Since then, Kit has become one of the leaders and a role model for other advocates.”

Mallozzi has also worked to prevent student bullying, Kolek noted, and is a student ambassador welcoming eighth graders and transfer students to the high school. Outside of her school life, Mallozzi is an active youth group member who’s gone on “several mission trips to rebuild homes and churches” and visits homebound, elderly residents with Meals on Wheels.

“It’s easy to understand that Kit experiences the good because she sees the good in others,” Kolek said.

Robey is someone “who does not seek the spotlight, but who serves as a beacon because of the light he leaves,” Kolek then said of the second award recipient. She added that Robey has “an excellent work ethic” and that “his counselor notes that Jack shows a great maturity in that it is not grades, but learning that motivates and guides his choices.”

Kolek noted that Robey completed all the high school’s courses in French — then went a significant step further by spending a month in France in a language immersion program. He’s been a “dedicated, disciplined” member of the boys swim team throughout high school as well, Kolek said, and he applied that attitude also to his studies. And like Mallozzi, Robey is a member of the Student Advocates.

“He’s a genuine friend to students with many backgrounds,” Kolek said of Robey, who’s “confident and caring” and, just as important, a good listener.

“When you see someone else in need, you’re willing to forego your own need in order to reach out to others,” Kolek said to him. “That’s truly a gift, Jack.” Robey, she concluded, “is the kind of man we all want as a student, a colleague, a boss and a neighbor.”

Board of Education Chairman Hazel Hobbs, left, stands with CABE Student Leadership Award recipients Jack Robey and Kit Mallozzi.

Connection. It’s the one-word mission behind Future 5, an organization New Canaanite Clif McFeely started for connecting disconnected high school students to bright futures.

McFeely began Future 5 in 2009 after volunteering with Stamford’s Big Brother program. Living in New Canaan and working in advertising in Stamford, he said he felt closed off from many of the life and financial struggles many kids face — until he joined Big Brother. Around the same time, he decided the time had come to close his ad agency. He began thinking of his second career and that’s when Future 5 came about.

“The thought behind Future 5 is how we could connect each high school student to at least five different people in their lives to help them move forward,” McFeely told the Advertiser. “The beauty of living in New Canaan is the number of people willing to put their time and smarts into helping us here.”

He mentioned that New Canaanites comprise 28 of Future 5’s 52 active coaches and board members. He also said many New Canaan organizations, including the New Canaan Community Foundation, have donated to Future 5.

“New Canaan has really been the engine behind this in so many ways,” he said.

Clif McFeely of New Canaan founded Future 5, an organization that connects disconnected high school students to brighter futures. (Cristina Commendatore photo)

How it works

Future 5 consists of coaches and weekly workshops that help high school students stay on track and plan for the next steps in their lives. During the first six weeks of the program, new members are asked to put their own lives into perspective, and coaches show them how to avoid the “gremlins” — friends, family, lack of motivation, drugs and alcohol, etc. — that hold them back.

“We get them thinking and walking away with a plan for themselves,” McFeely said. “The idea is to help them get through high school and connect to a four-year college, community college or trade.”

Students are matched with coaches who tutor them in subjects they may struggle with — particularly math — as well as those who help them with the college application and financial aid process. For students who seek a job out of high school, coaches teach them the soft skills that employers are looking for, such as work ethic and interview skills.

Future 5 students join the organization mainly by word of mouth and friends recruiting friends, McFeely said. Though the organization does work with Stamford schools in some respect, minimal recruiting is done within the school system.

Success stories

McFeely said students’ success is measured on whether they end up in college or employed after graduation. Over the five years Future 5 has been around, he said the success rate is 92%.

One of his most memorable success stories comes from a young woman who had good grades in high school and a promising future when she joined Future 5, but she had no money for college. An aspiring nurse, the student applied to schools and became discouraged when she saw what college would cost. She began working closely with one of the organization’s coaches and ended up attending a dinner at New Rochelle College. During the dinner, the Future 5 coach introduced the student to the president of the school.

The following day, the president   called Future 5 and offered the student a full scholarship into the school’s nursing program. She is in her third year at New Rochelle and is doing well, McFeely said.

Another Future 5 success story comes from a young man who struggled through high school and decided to put his life into perspective his senior year. He ended up enrolling in Norwalk Community College and chose to use community college as a stepping stone to earning a four-year degree. Now, McFeely said, that student is leaving community college with a 3.5 grade point average and is on his way to attending a four-year university.

“We’re as proud of a student going to NCC with the attitude to succeed as we are with a student getting a full ride to a four-year college,” McFeely said. “One thing we’ve learned with this is that we’ve created a positive program for young people to be involved with – where coaches and students are part of one community. It’s fun to be here. It’s positive and optimistic.”

For now, Future 5 focuses only on Stamford students, but McFeely believes it could eventually expand to help students in other cities across the state.

“The idea is to be the best we can be in Stamford,” he said. “Our first priority is to make it great here. We learn from the kids here how to make it better.”

Future 5 membership is free for students, and the organization relies on grants and donations from corporations and within the community. To learn more or to make a donation, visit futurefive.org.

When you make the current high school principal the interim superintendent, it’s going to lead to a shuffling of other school district positions.

The latest shuffle has Steven R. Bedard, the current director of alternative learning programs, will become the acting assistant principal at New Canaan High School next school year, the district announced Monday.

The current assistant principal, Dr. Veronica LeDuc, will become acting principal on July 1. That’s when Bedard begins his new position too. Dr. Bryan Luizzi, the current high school principal, will become the interim superintendent on July.

Luizzi will become the interim superintendent on July.

Steven Bedard

“An enthusiastic and energetic educator, Steve has assumed multiple roles at New Canaan High School,” Gary Kass, the district’s director of human services, said. He has been a health and physical education teacher and head boys track and field coach since 2004. He currently serves as a class advisor and is the director of alternative learning programs. He is also certified as a TEAM mentor and TEAM reviewer.

Steve earned a bachelor of science in physical education and an additional eighteen graduate credits in school counseling from Syracuse University. In 2010, he received a master’s degree in education in educational leadership from the University of New England in Portland, Maine, and in 2014 was awarded a certificate of advanced graduate study in leadership, ethics and change.

Dr. Bryan Luizzi expressed his support of Mr. Bedard,

“Steve’s depth of experience working with students, parents, and faculty, coupled with his unwavering commitment to doing whatever it takes to help each student succeed, provide an excellent foundation for his transition into this new, expanded role,” Dr. Bryan Luizzi, the current high school principal, said.

Ideologically, the U.S. Democratic Party has been the right fit for them, but it was the community here in New Canaan — which historically is known more for its strong Republican base — that drew in and has given a sense of belonging to four expatriates from around the globe. Each with their own unique story, Jozsef Solta, Shekaiba Wakili Bennett, Michael Crofton and Angela Jameson all are members of the Democratic Town Committee and have been inspired to contribute to this town. 

“I see this as my community,” said Solta, principal of Jozsef Solta Architects on Elm Street and a licensed architect in the United States, Germany and his home country of Hungary. “I want to get an understanding of how a difference is made here,” he added, which is why he joined the Democratic Town Committee.

And in the meantime, Solta has been a part of New Canaan by literally helping shape it. His company has designed five houses in town in addition to projects in surrounding towns and New York.

Solta had an “in” in New Canaan that stretched across the Atlantic to his native Hungary, which is also the homeland of New Canaan architect and civil engineer Laszlo Papp. “In Hungary, the architectural community was small,” Solta said, and Solta’s father, who was an architect as well, knew Papp.

Papp created a program between the American Institute of Architects and the Hungarian architects’ union, Solta said, which for a time offered a two-year professional training opportunity for Hungarian architects. Solta won a competition for that opportunity.

“I put down a pencil one Saturday in Hungary and picked up another the next day in a New York office,” he told the Advertiser. As chance would have it, Solta ended up spending his first night in the United States in New Canaan.

“Laszlo was busy when I arrived, so he sent his nephew to pick me up,” Solta said, “and he brought me to his house here in town.” That initial experience made a lasting impression, and after he’d worked with a number of architectural firms in New York, eventually led Solta to move here himself and open his own office.

Though they came from different countries, New Canaan Democratic Town Committee members Shekaiba Wakili Bennett, left, Angela Jameson, Michael Crofton and Jozsef Solta, now call this community their home and want to contribute their various talents to it. (Aaron Marsh photo)

Refuge from places of war

About 2,500 miles southeast of Solta’s home country, Bennett’s family once called Afghanistan home.

When she was a child, “my father was working for the United Nations and saw the Russian invasion of Afghanistan was progressing,” recalled Bennett, referencing the Soviet incursion into Afghanistan that began in December 1979. The country was fraught with sectional rebellion, insurgency and opposing ideologies — which were complicated and aggravated by foreign involvement, often covertly.

“He saw his colleagues disappearing,” Bennett said of her father, “and he thought he was probably on the target list as well.”

Escaping that situation, Bennett’s family came to the United States, and she would grow up in Long Island, N.Y., and became a documentary photographer. She taught at New York high schools, lectured at universities and has had many examples of her work exhibited and featured in a number of publications, including the New York Times. She met and married a man from New Canaan, she said, which is what her brought to town.

As has been her family’s tradition, Bennett said she wanted to get involved in the community here as well. “I feel it’s important to give back to the town and reach out to others here,” she said. For instance, in addition to being a member of the Democratic Town Committee, she’s co-chairman of the U.N. Committee of New Canaan, which, among other activities, brings international speakers to town.

“The goal is to provide the community with a dialogue they would not have otherwise,” she said. Another way the committee helps broaden world understanding and awareness is with efforts such as supporting the New Canaan High School Model U.N. Club’s recent trip to the Hague.

As that sense of giving back was instilled in her, Bennett described passing it on as well to the next generation of her family, too. “A few years ago, our Democratic Town Committee treasurer, George Blauvelt, organized a cleanup of the Talmadge Hill train station,” she told the Advertiser. “As we picked up coffee cups, cigarette butts, newspapers and cans with a group of Democrats and their families, my young son began his life of civic service.

“For me, this served to initiate my son in our family tradition of service,” she continued, “and to reinforce for us the importance of stewardship of our shared resources.”

Left a polarized society behind

Crofton, who has served as an alternate member of the Planning & Zoning Commission for two years, also stressed the importance of service to the community. His began in South Africa, where he was born in Johannesburg and moved to Durban, the city he first thought of as home.

Crofton said he was active in South Africa’s Progressive Party when the country was deeply conflicted over apartheid and rights for non-white people. The party stood against that system of segregation.

“During the mid-’80s, South Africa had an opportunity to move in the direction of opening up the political system to black people and people of other races who were pretty much excluded from the entire system,” Crofton recalled. But instead, P. W. Butha, South Africa’s president then, “thumbed his nose at the world” and decided to press on with apartheid policies.

“So I decided I didn’t want to be part of that community any longer,” Crofton said. Being a barrister — a type of lawyer that acts as a courtroom advocate — Crofton came to New York City, where he continued working as an attorney. Today he serves as general counsel of Pantheon Capital, LLC, in New Jersey, which finances health care equipment and other investments in the health care market.

Crofton and his wife moved to New Canaan in 1991. “One of the reasons we moved here is the character of this town; it has an unspoiled kind of character,” Crofton told the Advertiser, which he noted that serving on the Planning & Zoning Commission gives him a chance to help protect. But despite the town’s rich character and affluence, he added, “our material trappings and conveniences are fragile.”

Hurricane Sandy provided a reminder of that, Crofton said. He described sharing resources back and forth between his home — where a standby generator chugged away for a time while others were without power — and those of his neighbors John and Betsy Stopper, Bill Gardner and Judy Larson.

“Our own generator conked out after five days,” he said. “Without hesitation, the Stoppers took us in for the next week or so, dog and all. No phones, television, very little light or running water — but lots of care, good wine and companionship.”

“Stories like that happened all over town,” Crofton continued. “Our strong community prevailed.”

‘Quintessential New Canaan’

Jameson — who was born in the port town of Folkestone, England, came to the United States in 1992 and moved to New Canaan not two years later — also spoke of the strength of the community here. When she first arrived in this country, she didn’t expect she’d be staying and eventually would become a citizen, but that changed when she met and married a man from New Canaan.

To her, preserving the town’s environment and natural resources is “something that’s very important,” said Jameson, who works as a money manager at First Manhattan Co. As a member of the Inland Wetlands Commission, she said the commission plays a key role in environmental preservation and finding the best balance between that goal and property owners’ plans for land use.

“The commission provides a forum for all constituencies to express their points of view and concerns” and then makes the fairest judgements it can, she said. “The commission goes out of its way to make sure that everybody’s voice is heard,” Jameson told the Advertiser.

Jameson described a sense of the New Canaan community that transcends political agendas. The people here, she said, work together for the good of the town, putting that before “Democrat,” “Republican” or other party affiliation.

Citing an example of that community spirit — which she termed her “quintessential New Canaan moment” — Jameson spoke of helping Kathleen Corbet, a Democratic candidate for Town Council, campaign at the New Canaan Metro-North Railroad station a few days before elections.

“Kathleen was known to many of the commuters who were rushing from the parking lot to the train because of her many activities in New Canaan and because she used to ride the 6:20 a.m. train every day when she worked on Wall Street,” Jameson said. “What impressed me was the number who stopped to talk to Kathleen and said that they would be voting for her, even though they were registered Republicans.

“Many New Canaan residents are open to voting on the basis of competence and experience rather than political party,” she continued. “They recognize that their interests are best served if they are represented by individuals with the skills, acuity and judgment to strike a reasonable fiscal balance and to monitor how public policy is executed.”

Harrison Newlin of New Canaan is planning quite a hike. The 15-year-old is heading to Africa in July to climb Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for Child’s Play, a charity that seeks to improve the lives of children in hospitals around the world. The charity does this by bringing toys and games to the hospitals.

Harrison is accepting donations for the climb. Suggested donations start at $1 per 1,000 feet. The mountain is 19,341 tall.

To donate, you can visit Harrison’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/groups/SevenSummitsChildsPlay; click the “Climbing the Seven Summits for hospitalized children” link. You can also send a check made out to “Child’s Play” to 58 Lantern Ridge Road, New Canaan CT 06840.

More info: ChildsPlayCharity.org

The Knights of Columbus celebrated Flag Day by honoring the winners of their annual essay-writing competition for fifth graders in Stamford schools at the Knights of Columbus Center on Sunday, June 8. This years’ winner from Villa Maria School was Annie Whitaker of New Canaan.

Annie got to read her winning essay, “What the American Flag Means to Me,” along with four other winners from various Stamford schools, at a luncheon ceremony on Sunday, June 8. She was also presented with a $50 check, along with a certificate and an American flag.

She is the daughter of Steven Whitaker and Margot Murray of New Canaan.

Annie Whitaker of New Canaan with Knights of Columbus awards presenters Gary Sessa and Robert Brieth.

Here’s Annie’s winning essay:

What the American Flag Means To Me

“My perspective of the American flag is freedom and equal rights. The American flag is a symbol of our strength and pride in the United States. Did you know that our American flag has two nicknames — “Old Glory” and “Stars and Stripes?”

To me, the flag speaks about the journey of our country. Beginning with 13 colonies and becoming 50 states over the years. The flag represents war and the ultimate sacrifice soldiers made for our country. The first American flag had 13 stars to show the 13 colonies.

The American flag looks bodacious to me! There are seven red stripes and six white stripes. The 13 stripes represent our 13 beloved colonies. The red stripes represent bravery and the white stripes show our innocence. On the American flag there is a blue corner on the left side that shows justice. Our first flag had 13 stars for the 13 states. Today we have 50 stars on the flag to show the states.

I think the U.S. is the best place to live and grow up. I am very proud to be an American and appreciate everything I have.”

A New Canaan woman reported to police on Monday afternoon, June 16, a strange incident involving an unexpected package.

The woman, 66, who lives on Oekoke Ridge, arrived home on Friday, June 13, and found a UPS package delivery attempt notice on her door, according to police Sgt. Carol Ogrinc. The resident wasn’t expecting any package, Ogrinc said, nor was the woman’s husband — but she completed the back of the notice to request that the package be delivered.

But the next day, it wasn’t. The resident contacted UPS and found that the package had been picked up the evening before at one of the company’s facilities in Norwalk, according to Ogrinc. The person who retrieved the package provided a woman’s name that the resident did not recognize and also left an address.

The resident was able to find out that the package was sent by Wireless Customer Solutions, so its contents may have involved cell phone products, Ogrinc noted.

Police are investigating the matter, including checking security footage taken at the UPS store where the package was picked up. While the woman who made the police report “is really not a victim, her address was used,” Ogrinc said, and there could be identity theft of some kind involved.

Bardhyl Gjoka

St. Aloysius School has a new leader, the Bridgeport Diocese announced this week. After 10 years as the New Canaan Catholic school leader, Dr. Donald Howard retired June 30, and was replaced by Bardhyl Gjoka.

Sister Mary Grace Walsh, ASCJ, Ph.D., the Bridgeport Diocese schools superintendent announced that Bishop Frank J. Caggiano approved the appointment at the end of June.

Most recently, Gjoka served for two years as assistant principal of All Saints Catholic School in Norwalk. Over the previous seven years, he taught math and engineering at Kolbe Cathedral High School in Bridgeport, and at the High School Engineering Academy in Fairfield. In his native Albania, he was a math and physics teacher and, later, principal of a school that served sixth through 12th graders.

A Connecticut-certified teacher and school administrator, Gjoka earned a bachelor’s degree in math and physics from the University of Shkoder in Albania, a master’s degree in education from Fairfield University and a sixth-year diploma in educational leadership from Sacred Heart University. He is an active member of St. Mary Parish in Norwalk.

During Dr. Howard’s tenure, St. Aloysius was recognized as a Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education for its students’ achievements in mathematics and reading. In addition, its enrollment base greatly increased. “St. Aloysius School will continue to flourish under Mr. Gjoka’s capable leadership”, said Sr. Mary Grace said. “He is well known in the diocese for his commitment to Catholic education, his strong work ethic and educational philosophy and the willingness to learn and lead. These gifts will serve him well as St. Aloysius’ new principal.”

St. Aloysius School is a co-educational, K-8 school in the New Canaan village. It draws its student body from surrounding towns and cities that encompass 15 zip codes.

More info: StAloysiusSchool.net

It’s a cruel irony that Dirk Hart had to die during the 2014 World Cup, because soccer was his passion.

He starred on the New Canaan High School soccer team (Class of ’89), the only sophomore to make varsity, coached his daughters and their teams, and even turned his wife, Megan, into a fan.

“We met in college,” she says, “and our first date was watching a World Cup game.”

On June 19th, Mr. Hart collapsed at their home in Rowlett, Texas, and died of a heart attack. He was 43, leaving behind his wife and daughters: Kiley, 14, Brooke, 13 and Sophie, 10. With no prior medical issues, his passing is sadder still as he and his family were just starting to exhale after Brooke’s years-long struggle with a rare form of bone cancer.

Once a high-powered executive at Time-Warner, Mr. Hart decided that spending as much time as possible with his family was his first priority, even before Brooke’s diagnosis. “He passed up many opportunities for advancement at Time-Warner,” Megan said, “because he didn’t want to be away from home for long periods of time.”

Mr. Hart left the corporate world about five years ago, starting an ATM management business that grew to 34 locations, but allowed him to work from home. His decision proved prescient when Brooke became ill. Mr. Hart spent the last three years of his life caring for his daughter.

“He would wake up, get breakfast for the other girls, get them off to school and then do whatever was necessary for Brooke,” said his brother-in-law Steve Fuller, also a 1989 NCHS graduate. “He and Megan would tag-team, so one of them was always there.”

It was a 24/7 job. There were 10 months of chemotherapy and 26 rounds of radiation treatments. Then, during surgery to remove the tumor, Brooke suffered complications that left her paralyzed from the waist down.

“The tumor was so big that it pushed her heart to the side,” her mother said. “We were told she would never walk again. And for 18 months there was no progress. But a year ago she was able to walk on crutches, and now she can walk using one crutch. It’s miraculous. We’re all very grateful.”

While the ATM business was successful and allowed Mr. Hart the time he needed to care for Brooke, the financial ramifications took a toll. Health insurance options available to small businesses normally can’t compare with large group catastrophic coverage benefits. Even after working diligently with the various providers, the Mr. Hart’s uncovered medical bills approached $1,000,000.

Mr. Hart fought the debts aggressively. He took another full-time job to supplement the annuity income from his ATM business. The family had to use its life savings as well. But things were progressing. “The last thing Dirk said to me was that he could finally start seeing the light at the end of the tunnel,” says Megan. He then walked into the bathroom, collapsed and died.

“Dirk had a cash-value life insurance policy that he had to fully tap to pay Brooke’s medical bills,” says Fuller. “But that left them with no life insurance  for him.”

Megan’s father and other family members are now scrambling to get the ATM business back up and running, splitting territories. They have also set up a fund-raising effort (see below).

Though he never returned to live in New Canaan after leaving for college, Megan said Dirk always talked about his years in the town and its surroundings.

“Dirk loved New Canaan,” she says. “He told me he was always competing in sports or on the ponds, fishing or playing hockey. He would tell us about his adventures with Steve. And he loved Stew Leonard’s. He said it was the best store on the planet. He took me there once and I thought it was an amusement park! He told the girls that one day we’d get them to Stew’s.”

Fuller, who now lives in Utah, is heartbroken over the loss. “He was a great athlete and a great friend. We loved growing up in New Canaan. I still can’t believe how much fun we had there.”

More than 500 people were at Mr. Hart’s funeral service, and Megan is determined to carry on despite the crushing loss.

“Brooke just had a two-year scan, and it was clear,” she says. “And her prognosis is really good. Me and Dirk will be together again some day. I know he’s watching over us. We were in a good place as a family when he died, and I’m grateful for that.

“I lost my very best friend. Dirk was generous to everyone he met. Even when we were in need, he was generous. I never once heard him swear. The kids had the rare treat of having him home a lot. He wanted to be a dad and to be awesome at it, and he accomplished that. He was awesome.”

Dirk Hart, a New Canaan native, with his daughter Brooke. Mr. Hart died last month.

How to help 

Dirk’s friends have started a fund to help the Hart family pay medical and housing expenses. If you would like to make a donation, you can do so at fundly.com/dirk-hart-memorial-fund

There are 3 ways to make a donation.

Credit card: Click the “Donate” button on the page.

Check: Send payable to ‘Dirk Hart Memorial Fund’ to Megan’s father: Dale Quenzer, 1000 East 18th Street, Suite 100, Plano Texas 75074

Wire Transfer: Legacy Texas Bank, e-mail Dale@DaleQuenzerCPA.co

Officer David Rivera, formerly of the Bridgeport Police Department, was sworn in as a New Canaan Police officer Tuesday morning, July 1. He’s one of three new, already-certified officers New Canaan has hired, which police Chief Leon Krolikowski had said would be a priority due to short staff, potential retirements and the time involved in bringing an entirely new officer through the police academy and onto the force. 

By comparison, hiring an officer who’s certified is much more expedient, Krolikowski said.

At the swearing-in ceremony, Rivera’s wife, Melanie, pinned on his fresh New Canaan badge. Police Capt. Vincent DeMaio, describing the significance of receiving a badge, likened it in part to getting deputized by the sheriff in the Old West, and also — which he characterized as an “even better” analogy — to a nursing student receiving a nurse’s pin and taking an oath of service.

“The nursing profession is a service profession, just like we are a service profession,” DeMaio said. “The two are very similar in that when you’re pinning that police badge on, you’re committing to service to the community, just as nurses do.”

“I’m honored to be here in New Canaan,” Rivera told the Advertiser. “Bridgeport is also a great department; there are a lot of great officers over there doing excellent work. But at this point in my life, I felt like this was right.”

Unsurprisingly, Rivera added that he’s a little less sure about the commute from his current residence in Bridgeport, which he said takes about 45-50 minutes, but said he’s managing.

Melanie Rivera, wife of police Officer David Rivera, pins on David’s new badge as he’s sworn in to the New Canaan Police Department. Police Chief Leon Krolikowski, at left in rear, looks on along with Capt. Vincent DeMaio and Town Clerk Claudia Weber. (Aaron Marsh photo)

Evening honor

New Canaan Police also gave special recognition for service excellence to the officers on duty early Wednesday morning, May 14. Magdala Pierre-Louis, 28, of Bridgeport, was stopped for speeding, and because of the officers’ diligence that night, Pierre-Louis was found to be a fugitive from justice, wanted in Norristown, Pa., and arrested.

“They could have easily not made the arrest, not dug any deeper, and no one would have been any wiser,” DeMaio said, but the officers on duty instead “took additional measures to vet out the truth.” That even included making phone calls to wake up a small town sheriff in Pennsylvania to verify Pierre-Louis’ identity by her tattoos, noted DeMaio.

A unit citation award for the arrest was presented to Officers Dan Gulino, Jeffrey Pollock, Scott Humburg, Brian Mitchell, Michael O’Sullivan and Rex Sprosta.

“Everyone knows law enforcement is a family,” said DeMaio. “When the chips are down, we all count on each other.”

New officer bios

In addition to Rivera, the New Canaan Police Department also has hired Officers Shane Gibson and Anthony Signore. Following is biographical info on the three released by police:

David W. Rivera, 26, is married and lives in Bridgeport. Prior to being sworn-in in New Canaan, he was employed by the Bridgeport Police Department, and had been so since April 2011. He held the rank of patrol officer, and is fluent in Spanish.

Rivera graduated from East Hartford High School in 2005, and continued his education at the University of Connecticut. He graduated in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology with an emphasis on criminal justice. He also attended the Capital Community College in Hartford, where he studied public speaking. In 2008, Rivera joined the U.S. Air Force National Guard, and is currently assigned to the 103rd Airlift Wing based in East Granby. He holds the rank of E-4.

He begins his field training program on Tuesday, July 22.

Shane M. Gibson, 30, is married and lives in Stamford. He is employed by the Southern Connecticut State University Police, and has been since April 2013. Gibson was previously employed by the Gunnison, Colo., police department from 2008-2012. He has been a patrol officer with both departments.

Gibson attended the Rio Rancho High School in Loma, Colo. He continued his education at the University of New Mexico and Western State College of Colorado, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology and Criminal Justice.

He begins his field training program on Tuesday, July 22.

Anthony D. Signore, 45, is married with three children, ages 11, eight and two. He lives in Norwalk and works for the Redding Police Department. He holds the rank of sergeant and has been one of two school resource officers for the past several years. He joined the Redding Police Department in May 2001. Signore graduated from Norwalk High School and continued his education at Norwalk Community College.

While an officer with the Redding Police Department, Anthony Signore has obtained instructor certifications in many areas, including as a National Tactical Officers Association active shooter and in firearms instruction.

On Friday, July 27, 2014, Signore accepted a position as patrol officer with the New Canaan Police Department. He will begin his field training program on Tuesday, July 22.

“The New Canaan Police Department is grateful for the support and vision of the Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance and Town Council for allowing the department to increase its sworn members so as to provide more effective and efficient service to the New Canaan community,” Chief Krolikowski stated. “These new officers will enable our department to better protect and Serve the Town of New Canaan.”

John Breitfelder of New Canaan, a student at South Elementary School, was recently honored as one of “the brightest young students in the nation” at a regional awards ceremony for academically advanced children, sponsored by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth (CTY). The ceremony was held at Yale University on Saturday, June 7, and Sunday, June 8.

The center honored John, a participant in the CTY Talent Search, for his “exceptional performance on a rigorous, above-grade-level test given to academically talented second-through-eighth-grade students,” according to a release.

As part of the search, which is going on now, advanced young learners take above-grade level tests that CTY has used for years to spot academic talent and reveal gaps between a child’s academic program and his or her actual capacity for learning. Seventh and eighth graders take the SAT or ACT — the same tests used for college admissions. These students, along with second through sixth graders, can take the School and College Ability Test (SCAT), an above-level test.

John was one of more than 38,000 students from more than 120 countries who participated in the talent search. Because of the difficulty of the tests, only a fraction of the students who participated earned an invitation to a CTY awards ceremony where they are individually honored for their academic performance and potential. Most students honored in the awards ceremonies also qualified academically for CTY’s summer courses and online classes.

A global leader in gifted education since 1979, CTY is focused on recognizing academic talent in exceptional K-12 students and supporting their growth with courses, services and resources specifically designed to meet their needs.

John Breitfelder

John Chesney and Dorothea Williams each celebrated their 100th birthdays recently at Waveny Care Center.

John Chesney and Dorothea Williams each celebrated their landmark 100th birthday recently at Waveny Care Center.

As he prepares to celebrate the first anniversary of his installation, the new leader of the Diocese of Bridgeport continues to open doors of communication between the leaders of the church and area Roman Catholic parishioners. To that end, Bishop Frank Caggiano has announced the fourth diocesan synod to be held throughout the next year.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport will convene a diocesan synod this fall for the first time since 1981. According to Catholic.org, a synod is a gathering of designated officials and representatives of a church, with legislative and policy-making powers. The synod in 1981 was held under the second bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, the Most Rev. Walter W. Curtis. There were also synods in 1971 and 1961.

Caggiano recently told Hersam Acorn Newspapers that the synod is a process required under old church law. He hopes that the synod process will help make strides in issues facing the diocese, including the need to improve transparency and communication, and young Catholic adults feeling distant from the church.

“I’ve heard over and over that people are anxious to do something — to have input and be heard. What we are going to do is get together to address this and there is no better way to do it than a synod,” he said.

“It will help to establish people to feel they have an opportunity to express their thoughts, to be listened to and engage in consultation with officials and one another,” he said.

Caggiano said he hopes the atmosphere will make people feel “empowered, hopefully excited and enthused.”

The process has already begun, with parishes and schools throughout Fairfield County that belong to the diocese choosing delegates to represent them during the spring, including New Canaan’s St. Aloysius. Caggiano said approximately 300 to 400 delegates have been chosen and there will also be a group of young people who will parallel the synod. Other groups represented will include immigrants, ethnic groups and the Voice of the Faithful.

Caggiano broke the Diocese of Bridgeport’s long-standing policy of rejecting the Voice of the Faithful since its inception. Previous diocese leaders have condemned the group and banned them from meeting on church property.

Diocese communications director Brian Wallace told Hersam Acorn earlier this year that “one of the first things Bishop Caggiano did after arriving here was to reach out to the Voice of the Faithful, and in four months he has had several conversations with the VOTF leadership.”

The Voice of the Faithful began in Massachusetts as parishioners’ response to allegations of sexual abuse by Catholic clergymen. Reports of sexual abuse hit a crisis level nationally in 2002, with reports of misconduct involving hundreds of Roman Catholic priests and thousands of young victims. There were 23 lawsuits involving sexual abuse in the Diocese of Bridgeport alone.

Roman Catholics in Fairfield County soon followed suit, organizing affiliated chapters at St. Jerome Parish in Norwalk and St. Paul Parish in Greenwich. After the St. Jerome affiliate wrote to then-diocese head Bishop William E. Lori, he responded by prohibiting Voice of the Faithful from meeting on Catholic Church property. Bishop Lori issued a statement that the group’s goals “were not in keeping with church teaching.”

The group incorporated as the Voice of the Faithful in the Diocese of Bridgeport in February 2003, according to its website.

Caggiano met with the group at a public meeting earlier this year and Wallace said the meeting had a “sense of history being made in a quiet way in a spirit of reconciliation and candor.”

Caggiano said this week that the group has nominated three or four leaders to represent them at the synod.

“They are part of the church and many of them are very faithful members of their parishes. They were created in response to the abuse crisis and much of what they have raised has been controversial,” Caggiano said.

“I’ve said to them, and to everyone, the synod is designed to talk about things we can change — not what we can’t. The synod has no ability to change theology. They understand and are very cooperative,” he said.

“We can learn from one another. We don’t have to agree with everybody to respect everyone,” Caggiano said.

The goal of the synod is to set a pastoral game plan with specific objectives and goals “we can agree on.”

The synod will have four themes as outlined by Caggiano in a recent homily.

The first theme is to empower the young church. “The young are not spectators in this process. They are full participants in the synodal process. The young may have the answers we are looking for,” he said.

The second theme is to build up the spirituality of the family.

“If families are healthy, the church will be healthy. We must, my friends, build those communities of faith above all others,” Caggiano said.

The third theme is to foster evangelical outreach.

“Too many of our Catholic brothers and sisters no longer feel the need to be part of our worshipping family,” he said.

“They feel that no one misses them. But we do miss them and want them to be present with us,” Caggiano said.

The last theme of the synod is to “find new ways to promote works of charity and justice, to allow us to get the good news of what is already underway; the good works of Catholic Charities and all of the parish-based programs that many of you serve in quietly.”

Whether or not one is chosen as a delegate, all Diocese of Bridgeport members are able to provide comments through the diocese’s website.

Bishop Frank Caggiano was installed as fifth head of the Diocese of Bridgeport on Sept. 18, 2013. The Brooklyn native sat down with Hersam Acorn Newspapers last August to share his optimistic thoughts on the future of the church and the diocese.

He said he felt the church was heading into a new era led by Pope Francis.

“The Catholic Church has gone through a period of difficulty in the last few years, but we are beginning to see a new chapter in the church,” he said.

“Pope Francis has the simplicity, the humility, the directness,” Caggiano said last summer.

The synod will begin in September with an opening evening of prayer and close the following September. The bishop hopes to close the synod with a Mass celebrated at Webster Arena in Bridgeport.

Caggiano closed his recent homily by saying “the synod is not going to be the end of the journey, it is only the beginning.”

He echoed those thoughts to this week.

“I’m excited to have a process that involves so many different people and the leadership of the diocese on every level,” he said.

“It’s an exciting time. I have every confidence it’s going to be great,” Caggiano said.

More info: 2014synod.org, bridgeportdiocese.com

Bishop Frank Caggiano become the new Bishop of Bridgeport in 2013, overseeing the diocese that includes New Canaan. (Laureen Vellante photo)

George and Carol Bauer, of Wilton, formerly of New Canaan, will be presented with the “I Have a Dream” Award from the Norwalk Housing Foundation at its scholarship awards ceremony on Friday, July 18, at 6, at Stepping Stones Museum for Children, Mathews Park, 303 West Ave., Norwalk.

The keynote speaker at the event will be U.S. Representative Jim Himes.

The foundation is the largest public housing scholarship program in New England.

More info: 203-838-8471, ext. 176

U.S. Rep. Jim Himes of Greenwich, a Democrat, talks on HANRadio.com on Monday, April 21. An archive of the interview, the third in a series, Connecticut Candidates 2014, can be heard or downloaded at HANRadio.com archive. (Aaron Marsh photo)

Veronica Rosdahl, daughter of New Canaan residents Vince and Diana Rosdahl, returns home on Tuesday, July 29, after serving for 18 months in the Santiago, Chile, West mission as a volunteer missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

She will speak about her experiences in Chile on Sunday, August 10, at 1 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) Church at 682 South Ave. The community is welcome to attend.

Additionally, two 2013 graduates of New Canaan High School recently left to begin their full-time missionary service. Alima Cannon left the missionary training center in Provo, Utah, on July 15 to begin her mission in Kennewick, Washington, and  Andrew Read left the language-training program in Mexico City, Mexico, to begin his service in Quito, Ecuador on July 16.

The New Canaan Ward (congregation) currently has 13 young adults — nine women and four men — serving missions throughout the world: Gabrielle Ames, Brazil, Sao Paulo, Interlagos Mission; Alima Cannon, Washington, Kennewick Mission; Elizabeth Checketts, Washington, D.C. Mission; Chloe Davis, Cambodia, Phnom Penh Mission; Zach Edwards, Brazil, Londrina Mission; Taylor Goormastic, Utah, Salt Lake City Mission; Aubreigh Guynn, Brazil, Campinas Mission; Vanessa Neeleman, Brazil, Curitiba Mission; Andrew Read, Ecuador, Quito Mission; Declan Rosdahl, Utah, Salt Lake City West Mission; Veronica Rosda, Brazil, Sao Paulo North Mission; and Nick White, Zimbabwe, Harare Mission.

Approximately 85,000 men and women between the ages of 18-25 will serve missions worldwide this year. Expenses are paid by the missionary or the family during this voluntary service.

Veronica Rosdahl of New Canaan returns from her volunteer missionary work for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Tuesday, July 29. She speaks about it on Sunday, Aug. 10, a the New Canaan church on South Avenue.

Over 160 members, volunteers and friends of Staying Put came to the recent annual picnic fundraiser to say farewell to Staying Put’s departing executive director, Jane Nyce, who is moving with her husband to Maine. The event was held under a large tent at the home of board member Lila Coleman, with live piano music and a buffet augmented by tasty sandwiches provided by “Super Duper Weinie.”

President Tom Ferguson said, “Jane has done so much for Staying Put and for our members these past seven years. The enormous turnout today shows just how much Jane has meant to all of us.”

Nyce received a hand-crafted wooden bowl by member Bill Sessions, given by Louise Goodridge in her honor, as well as a booklet of Remembrances of Jane, quotes written by Staying Put members, board and volunteers, compiled by Lois Sandberg. She was also feted with a song in her honor to the tune of “The Rain in Spain” which began “Our Jane in Maine will be missed in New Canaan.”

Staying Put helps seniors to remain safe and comfortable in their hometown of New Canaan by providing support on many levels as well as planning events to keep them engaged with the community. For information about membership or volunteer opportunities, call (203) 966-7762.

At Staying Put’s annual picnic benefit, departing director Jane Nyce received thanks for her contributions with a bowl hand-crafted by Staying Put member Bill Sessions.

New Canaan native Allison Williams will star as Peter Pan alongside Christopher Walken’s Captain Hook during a live broadcast of the popular children’s tale on NBC this fall.

“Peter Pan” is set to be performed live on Thursday, Dec. 4, on NBC, where Williams’ father, New Canaanite Brian Williams, is the anchor of “NBC Nightly News.” He and his wife, Jane, live in town. Walken lives in neighboring Wilton.

“We couldn’t be happier that Allison Williams is our Peter Pan,” Robert Greenblatt, chairman at NBC Entertainment, said. “She’s a lovely rising star on the award-winning show “Girls” — where she occasionally shows off her incredible vocal talent — and we think she will bring the perfect blend of ‘boyish’ vulnerability and bravado to save the day against Christopher Walken’s powerful Captain Hook.”

Williams has starred as Marnie Michaels on the hit-HBO series “Girls” for the past two seasons. She has shown off her vocal talents, recording several songs for the series. She has also had guest-starring roles on Fox’s “The Mindy Project” and FX’s  “The League.”

“I have wanted to play Peter Pan since I was about three years old, so this is a dream come true,” Williams said. “It’s such an honor to be a part of this adventure, and I’m very excited to get to work with this extraordinarily talented team. And besides,” added Williams, “what could go wrong in a live televised production with simultaneous flying, sword fighting and singing?”

Williams posted this photo on Instagram Wednesday of herself dressed as Peter Pan when she was child:

She wrote with the post: “Thrilled to be playing Peter Pan live on NBC in December. I’ve been rehearsing for a REALLY long time.”

Last year, NBC presented a live production of “The Sound of Music,” which garnered more than 18 million viewers.

In 1955, the network broadcast the Broadway production of “Peter Pan,” starring Mary Martin and Cyril Richard. It drew 65 million viewers, a record at the time.

In a 2008 interview with the Advertiser, when Williams was a student at Yale University, she talked about what it is like to perform live on stage with her comedy group, Just Add Water.

“It’s the hardest thing I do, and it’s the most fun thing,” she said. “My brain doesn’t stop moving for two hours.”

Her desire to perform was something innate, even from a young age, said Williams in 2008.

“In all the home videos of me and my little brother, you’ll see my face slide into the frame from the side,” Williams told the Advertiser. “I was insanely jealous of the attention he got. My response to that was just being such a ham.”

Brian Williams kisses daughter Allison Williams on stage at the 2013 New Canaan concert for first responders that benefited Staying Put in New Canaan. The two emceed the concert that featured New Canaan residents Paul Simon and Harry Connick Jr. (Kristen Jensen photo)