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Former New Canaan Schools Food Service Director Latest Charged In $478,588 Embezzlement Case Former New Canaan Schools Food Service Director Latest Charged In $478,588 Embezzlement Case
Former New Canaan Schools Food Service Director Latest Charged In $478,588 Embezzlement Case A former New Canaan Schools food service director is the latest to be arrested in connection with a lunch embezzlement scheme that cost the school district almost a half million dollars in profits. Bruce Gluck, 61, of Middletown Springs, Vermont, was arrested on Monday, April 29, by New Canaan Police for allegedly stealing funds from the Saxe Middle School cafeteria and the New Canaan High School cafeteria, said Lt. Jason Ferraro. Two other suspects, sisters Joanne Pascarelli, 61, of Stratford and Marie Wilson, 67, of Wilton, were arrested last year for allegedly stealing $478,588 between 2…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
New Canaan High School Student Charged In Snapchat Threat New Canaan High School Student Charged In Snapchat Threat
New Canaan High School Student Charged In Snapchat Threat A 17-year-old New Canaan High School student has been charged with breach of peace after posting a threatening snapchat with a photograph of another student who appeared to be holding a gun. The posting was uncovered on Jan. 26, when the Wilton Police Department notified the New Canaan Police of a threatening photograph shared to a group of people on Snapchat, said New Canaan Police Lt. Jason Ferraro. On the snapchat, the caption “Don’t come to school tm” was written across the image. New Canaan Police immediately identified the two students involved and determined the gun in the…

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by Kathy Reakes
Schools
$500K New Canaan Lunch Ladies Embezzlement Case Moves To Court $500K New Canaan Lunch Ladies Embezzlement Case Moves To Court
$500K New Canaan Lunch Ladies Embezzlement Case Moves To Court The two lunch ladies who allegedly embezzled nearly a half-million dollars from the New Canaan School District were in court on Tuesday, claiming their innocence and blaming the school district for being negligent. Earlier this month, Stratford resident Joanne Pascarelli, 61, and sister Marie Wilson, 67, of Wilton, were arrested, following a lengthy investigation into an alleged scheme that net the two lunch ladies $478,588 over a five-year span. They have been out on released on $50,000 bail. Each sister has been charged with larceny, defrauding a public community. On Tuesday, in Norwalk S…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
$500K Lunch Ladies Embezzlement Case Sparks Questions In New Canaan, National Coverage $500K Lunch Ladies Embezzlement Case Sparks Questions In New Canaan, National Coverage
$500K Lunch Ladies Embezzlement Case Sparks Questions In New Canaan, National Coverage The two sisters who embezzled nearly a half-million dollars from the New Canaan School District while working as lunch ladies has garnered national attention, and led to countless questions from the community about their elaborate scheme and how it was able to continue for years. New Canaan Police detectives launched their lengthy investigation - which included more than 20 interviews - on Dec. 21 when the Board of Education filed a complaint about financial inadequacies Saxe Middle School and the New Canaan High School cafeterias. Earlier this month, Stratford resident Joanne Pascarelli and…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
New Rankings: These Fairfield County High Schools Among Best In State New Rankings: These Fairfield County High Schools Among Best In State
New Rankings: These Fairfield County High Schools Among Best In State Related story: These Fairfield County School Districts Among Best In State It’s no secret that Fairfield County is home to some of the nation’s finest schools. But which high schools are at the top the list? On Wednesday, Niche released its 2019 rankings, which are “based on rigorous analysis of key statistics and millions of reviews from students and parents using data from the U.S. Department of Education.” Using a weighted scale that includes academic grades (60 percent), teacher’s grades (10 percent), culture and diversity (10 percent), parent-student surveys (10 percent) and other …

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by Zak Failla
Obituaries
Popular Fairfield County HS Football, Lacrosse Coach Dies At 52 Popular Fairfield County HS Football, Lacrosse Coach Dies At 52
Popular Fairfield County HS Football, Lacrosse Coach Dies At 52 A popular area high school football and lacrosse coach and former Division I college standout died of a heart attack at his home Saturday afternoon. Jason Cooper, wide receivers coach at New Canaan High School, was 52. Cooper was a captain of Duke’s football team in 1987. For the past four years, Cooper served as an assistant coach for both the football and girls lacrosse programs at his alma mater, New Canaan High School. Prior to returning to his hometown, he worked in the finance field in Chicago. A tight end and defensive end, he was an All-FCIAC and All-State selection and team capta…

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by Joe Lombardi
Sports
Wesleyan Wins First National Lacrosse Title, Aided By New Canaan Pair Wesleyan Wins First National Lacrosse Title, Aided By New Canaan Pair
Wesleyan Wins First National Lacrosse Title, Aided By New Canaan Pair Wesleyan University's men's lacrosse team won its first-ever NCAA Division III championship on Sunday, aided by the efforts of several former high school standouts from the area. The Cardinals, playing in their first-ever title game, defeated two-time defending national champion Salisbury 8-6 in Foxborough, Mass. Salisbury was looking for its 13th national championship. Wesleyan jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the first quarter as the Cardinals capitalized on several big offensive opportunities while shutting down Salisbury with a zone defense. Salisbury then answered with a run of its own,…

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by Joe Lombardi
Sports
Former Fairfield County HS Stars Lift Wesleyan Lacrosse Into National Final Former Fairfield County HS Stars Lift Wesleyan Lacrosse Into National Final
Former Fairfield County HS Stars Lift Wesleyan Lacrosse Into National Final Wesleyan University's men's lacrosse team has advanced to the NCAA Division III championship game on Memorial Day weekend and several former high school standouts from Fairfield and Westchester counties are a big reason why. The Cardinals upset top-ranked and previously unbeaten RIT 19-18 on Sunday afternoon in Rochester and will play either two-time defending national champion Salisbury or Gettysburg in the title game in Foxborough, Mass., on Sunday, May 27. Former New Canaan High School star Harry Stanton, a senior attackman, had six goals for the Cardinals. Senior midfielder Cole Turpin,…

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by Joe Lombardi
Lifestyle
New Canaan Residents To Serve Missions In Mexico, Germany New Canaan Residents To Serve Missions In Mexico, Germany
New Canaan Residents To Serve Missions In Mexico, Germany Two New Canaan High School graduates have been invited to serve missions in Mexico and Germany beginning this spring. Francesca “Chessie” Guynn has been called to serve an 18-month mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Guadalajara, Mexico. She will enter the Missionary Training Center in Mexico City on May 22 where she will have six-week training course in Spanish before starting her service in Guadalajara. In Guadalajara, she will be involved in proselyting, community service and leadership training. “I’m grateful for the support from my family and friends,” Guyn…

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by Jon Craig
Police & Fire
New Canaan Basketball Coach Caught With Heroin In Stamford Fired New Canaan Basketball Coach Caught With Heroin In Stamford Fired
New Canaan Basketball Coach Caught With Heroin In Stamford Fired This story has been updated. A New Canaan High School assistant basketball coach busted with 20 bags of heroin in Stamford has been fired. Jose Amor, 30, of Davenport Drive, Stamford, was charged Friday with possession of narcotics, possession of narcotics with intent to sell and possession of a controlled substance after police received a call regarding a suspicious person, said Stamford Police Lt. Tom Barcello. School officials said in a letter to parents that that as of Monday morning, Amor is no longer employed in any capacity by the New Canaan Public Schools. "Mr. Amor passed th…

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by Kathy Reakes
Sports
New Canaan HS Standout Wins Indoor Rowing Championship New Canaan HS Standout Wins Indoor Rowing Championship
New Canaan HS Standout Wins Indoor Rowing Championship Sydney Kend, a New Canaan High School student, brought home the "hammer" after coming in first and taking the gold during the CRASH-B Sprints indoor rowing competition in Boston. The prestigious annual event is the nation’s top indoor rowing competition, where each athlete competes on the erg, or individual rowing machine, for a 2,000-meter sprint.  Kend bested an international field of 160 competitors in the junior women’s under-19 (high school-age) division, with a time of 7:01 (7 minutes and 1 second).  The senior is a member of Saugatuck Rowing Club and will row for the Unive…

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by Kathy Reakes
Schools
Fairfield County High Schools Among Top 50 For Athletes In CT Fairfield County High Schools Among Top 50 For Athletes In CT
Fairfield County High Schools Among Top 50 For Athletes In CT A total of 15 schools in Fairfield County are among the best 50 public high schools for athletes in Connecticut – including Fairfield Warde High School, which ranks first – according to a new list released by Niche.com. The website analyzes data sets and reviews to produce rankings, report cards and profiles for schools, colleges and places to live. The 2018 rankings are “based on student and parent reviews of athletics, student participation in athletics, and the number of sports offered at the school,” the website says. Here are the Fairfield County schools that made the Top 50 list, the…

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by Daily Voice