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Small details give big picture of town life

NORTH CANAAN — The annual town meeting was held Nov. 18. It took just a few minutes for five people to approve three standard agenda items: a list of banks where the town will deposit funds, authorization for the Board of Selectmen to borrow funds as needed and acceptance of the town report.

Copies of the report are available at Town Hall. It is a quick and concise look at how the town operates, as well as the organizations that are regional (including the school district). It offers the big picture, through details such as the number of births and deaths and the number of building permits issued.

For example, in fiscal 2008 (which began July 1, 2007, and ended June 30, 2008) there was more than $7.5 million in new construction in North Canaan.  Only a third of that was commercial.

Other statistics: The nurse at North Canaan Elementary School sees 30 to 60 children per day. VNA Northwest’s nurses, aides and physical therapists made more than 5,100 home visits. Canaan Fire Company responded to 121 calls and held four major fundraisers to meet the needs of protecting citizens and property. The number of current library card holders at the Douglas Library is equal to about half the town’s total population.                        

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Motivated by compassion and a drive to make housing more accessible, it took the Foundation for Norfolk Living years of hard work to create ten affordable homes at Haystack Woods. The “village” turned out to be a patchwork of support that included financial help from the DOH, a construction mortgage through Northwest Community Bank, and a Community Development Block Grant to purchase the property and pay for the road and infrastructure. The result? Two- and three-bedroom homes reserved for first-time homebuyers earning 60-80% of Litchfield County’s median income, and selling for $159,000 to $261,000. The condominium homes are deed-restricted and net-zero thanks to energy-efficient construction, solar panels, and battery storage, meaning the homebuyers will have no energy costs! Curious? Just Google “Haystack Woods” to learn more. It’s a remarkable accomplishment.

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