NORTH CANAAN — A potentially dangerous situation on Railroad Street/Route 7 is getting renewed attention with the start of the school year — and the ticketing of five people last week.The mother of a student at North Canaan Elementary School was charged with failure to obey a traffic signal Sept. 26 after she nearly collided with a crossing guard and student in the crosswalk at Railroad, Bragg and Orchard streets.Resident State Trooper David Collins issued the $117 ticket. The woman was driving north on Railroad Street, and told police that crossing guard Don Caranci was not holding the sign high enough in the air.Caranci said he was holding the sign up, and a stopped truck driver blew his horn at the woman to alert her, but she waved hello to Caranci and continued on her way to the school.Collins said it doesn’t even matter if the crossing guard had a sign or not. The law requires drivers to stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk. Collins, who is on temporary assignment here (see story above), said he is not out to issue lots of tickets, especially given the economy. He would rather make the public more aware of the traffic problems by issuing warnings; he only plans to ticket those who don’t get the message. It is also becoming obvious to him that the problem is just as much local people as it is people passing through town on state roads.The morning after the incident, he came out to Railroad Street at about 9 a.m., and quickly needed to pull over four cars, all driven by local people, for speeding.“There are a lot of things going on out there. It’s a pretty scary situation,” Collins said. “I’m not giving out tickets for people going a few miles over the speed limit. I’m talking about 10 miles or more over it, and those drivers are not hard to find.”He is very concerned about the traffic issues here and in other parts of town — including the area around the school.Many of the same issues Caranci sees were also happening on Main Street, where the decision was made to discontinue a controlled crosswalk. All students in the center of town were assigned to and encouraged to ride a school bus. Caranci was reassigned to the crosswalk between the school and the Town Hall parking lot, where he said he has documented hundreds of traffic violations per month. The selectmen addressed the issue by moving the Town Hall entrance, to eliminate the four-way intersection, and by posting new signs to make it clear that Pease Street is one-way during school arrival and dismissal times. That designation continues to be ignored by some parents and school staff.One of the biggest issues Caranci has observed everywhere is people using cell phones while driving; most, he said, are usually also speeding at the same time.When another crossing guard went on disability last spring, Caranci was moved to the Railroad Street post. The crosswalk by the school was left unguarded.Collins plans to work with the school board and administration in an effort to stop the violations at the school. That includes a chronic problem of drivers parking in fire lanes. The bus circle and most of Pease Street are designated fire lanes. Yet, during the school day and any event taking place there, including school board meetings, the fire lanes will fill up with cars, even as a parking lot directly across from the main entrance remains mostly empty.
Latest News
Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.
The BD Canaan facility opened in 1961 with eight employees working in a 25,000-square-foot building and producing approximately 10 million syringes annually.
The anniversary celebration also included a $10,000 grant to the Community Health and Wellness Center (CHWC) in North Canaan, bringing BD’s financial support for the Federally Qualified Health Center since 2024 to $90,000.
CHWC CEO Joanne Borduas said the donation will help the organization’s health centers in Torrington, Winsted and North Canaan provide care to residents regardless of insurance status.
“We are deeply grateful for BD’s generous donation of $10,000,” Borduas said. “This contribution will go a long way in helping us to support our patients and local families as we carry out our mission of keeping our community well through providing access to quality health care regardless of insurance status.”
Several state and local lawmakers participated in the celebration, including state Rep. Maria Horn (D-64) and state Sen. Stephen Harding (R-30), who presented BD officials with an official citation from the General Assembly.
“BD has been an important part of northwestern Connecticut for 65 years, providing local jobs while manufacturing a product that supports patient care around the world,” the pair said in a joint statement.
Humble beginnings on Grace Way
The BD Canaan facility, located on Grace Way, opened in 1961 with eight employees working in a 25,000-square-foot building and producing approximately 10 million syringes annually.
Today, more than 500 employees work at the 385,000-square-foot facility, which produces more than 2 billion syringes a year.
More than 50 current BD employees at the Canaan site have worked for the company for at least 25 years, including 10 who have reached 40 years or more of service.
“The BD Syringe was invented here in Canaan as a breakthrough in patient safety and has become an essential part of care around the world, touching 80 patients every second,” said Eric Borin, worldwide president of Medication Delivery Solutions at BD.
“For 65 years, generations of employees have continued to improve how we manufacture while delivering the quality and precision clinicians count on,” Borin said. “This milestone is a testament to their dedication and the difference their work makes for patients every day.”
State Rep. Maria Horn (D-64) and state Sen. Stephen Harding (R-30), who represent the Northwest Corner, at BD’s 65th anniversary celebration on Oct. 6. The company was presented with an Official Citation from the Connecticut General AssemblyProvided by BD
More than $34 million invested in North Canaan site
The history of the North Canaan operation is closely tied to the development of the disposable plastic syringe.
The BD syringe was developed at the North Canaan facility as the medical industry moved away from reusable glass syringes. The change helped reduce the risk of disease transmission between patients and eventually made the disposable syringe a standard tool in medical care.
Over the decades, syringes manufactured in North Canaan have been part of major public health efforts, including smallpox eradication, H1N1 vaccination programs and the COVID-19 response.
“Connecticut has a proud history of turning innovation into products that improve people’s lives, and BD’s Canaan facility is a powerful example,” Gov. Ned Lamont said in a statement.
BD has invested more than $34 million in the North Canaan facility during the past five years, including three new syringe manufacturing lines and equipment upgrades designed to expand production capacity and modernize operations.
The investment comes as the company continues to emphasize domestic manufacturing and the importance of maintaining a reliable supply of medical products.
The North Canaan-made syringe has also earned recognition closer to home. It was the first product from the Northwest Corner selected for the Connecticut Business & Industry Association’s “Coolest Thing Made in Connecticut” competition.
CBIA representatives, including Chris DiPentima, the organization’s president and CEO, also attended the North Canaan festivities.
BD’s generosity, noted Borduas, “highlights the powerful impact that community-minded partners can make and we are very grateful for their support.”
Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.
