The office will be CLOSED on Friday, April 18th For Good Friday.

April at a Glance

Wed., April 2, 12:30pm - Support for Caregivers Lunch and Learn

Thurs., April 3, 12pm - Pizza Party at Staying Put

Fri., April 4, 11, 25, 10am - Walk with Kate at Irwin Park

Sun., April 6, 1pm - 3pm - Bring Out Your Patio Furniture with NC SLOBs

Tues., April 8, 10am -Brunch at Waveny House with Staying Put

Wed., April 9, 12pm - Book Talk Group Lunch at Staying Put

Thurs., April 10, 9am - 12:30pm - Swap Shop Pick-Up

Tues., April 15, 3pm - Afternoon Tea at Staying Put

Wed., April 16, 10am - Men's Coffee with Tiger Mann at Staying Put

Thurs., April 17, 12pm - Visit and Lunch at NCLT's Grupes Homestead

Tues., April 22, 10am - Tour of New Canaan Swap Shop

Wed., April 23, 12:30pm - Lunch and Learn at Lapham with Dr. Tauber

Fri., April 25, 10am - Ladies' Coffee at Staying Put

Tues., April 29, 12pm - Lunch at La Vista, South Salem, NY

Wed., April 30, 10am - Men's Coffee with Rob Fryer at Staying Put

Save the Date

Thurs., June 5th - The Staying Put Summer Soirée

Please contact the office if interested in Sponsoring the Summer Soirée

Welcome New Members

Lee Doucette, Niki and Brian Ellis, Shelley and Bill Emery,

Mary Feloney, Elizabeth and Walter Foster

MEMBER EVENTS

Wed., April 2, 12:30pm: Lunch and Learn at Lapham - Support for Caregivers. An informational panel on services and resources our community has available to those caring for a loved one with dementia and cognitive impairments. Lunch will be served. Free. RSVP by Tues., April 1st.

Thurs., April 3, 12pm: Pizza Party Lunch at Staying Put. Join your Staying Put friends for a fun, casual lunch of plain or pepperoni pizza, salad and dessert. Free. RSVP by Wed., April 2nd.

Fri., April 4, 11, 25, 10am: Walk with Kate at Irwin Park. Come enjoy a lovely walk with Kate. Please meet in the lower parking lot at Irwin Park and don't forget your sneakers and water bottle. Note - this is for those who are active, with no mobility issues. Free. RSVP by Thursday prior.

Sun., April 6, 1pm - 3pm: Bring out your patio furniture with New Canaan Service League of Boys (SLOBs). Sign up to have your patio furniture brought out for the season with The New Canaan SLOBs. Please sure to be home during the two-hour window. Free. RSVP by Tues., April 1st.

Tues., April 8, 10am: Brunch at Waveny House. Join Staying Put friends for a delicious brunch of bagels, pastries, fruit salad and Zumbach's coffee in the beautiful Waveny House. Free. RSVP by Mon., April 7th.

Wed., April 9, 12pm: Book Talk Group Lunch. Join Staying Put members for lunch and an exchange of recommendations about current fiction and non-fiction books. Free. RSVP by Tues., April 8th.

Thurs., April 10, 9am - 12:30pm: Swap Shop Pick Up. Spring Cleaning? Sign up to have your items taken to the New Canaan Swap Shop. Call the office at 203-966-7762 with any questions as to what is accepted. Free. RSVP by Wed., April. 9th.

Tues., April 15, 3pm: Afternoon Tea at Staying Put. Come join your Staying Put friends for tea and cake. Free. RSVP by Mon., April 14th.

Wed., April 16, 10am: Men's Coffee at Staying Put with Tiger Mann. Join Staying Put friends for coffee, treats and get an update of what is going on around town with Tiger Mann, Director of Department of Public Works. Free. RSVP by Tues., April 15th.

Thurs., April 17, 12pm: Lunch at New Canaan Land Trust's Grupes Homestead. Join us for lunch as Chris Schipper, former NCLT President, shares with us the history of the circa 1750 farmhouse and well as an update of what New Canaan Land Trust has planned for their new headquarters. Please note, there will be some steps in this house. Free. Carpool from the Staying Put parking lot at 11:30am. Free. RSVP by Tues., April 15th.

Tues., April 22, 10am: Tour of the New Canaan Swap Shop. Take a tour of the New Canaan Swap Shop with Robin, Katie and Sharon of Planet New Canaan. Carpool from the Staying Put parking lot at 9:45am. Free. RSVP by Mon., April 21st.

Wed., April 23, 12:30pm: Healthy Steps: A Podiatrist's Guide to Foot Care with Dr. Jennifer Tauber - Lunch and Learn at Lapham. Proper foot care helps prevent common problems and reduces the risk of serious injury. Dr. Tauber of New Canaan Podiatry will discuss ways to maintain strong and pain-free feet. Free. RSVP by Thurs., April 17th.

Fri., April 25, 10am: Ladies' Coffee at Staying Put. Join Staying Put friends for coffee, treats and good conversation. Free. RSVP by Thurs., April 24th.

Tues., April 29, 12pm: Lunch at La Vista. Join Staying Put friends for lunch at La Vista Restaurant. Order from the lunch menu special and enjoy fabulous food and be prepared to take home leftovers. Soft drink and coffee included. 355 Smith Ridge Road, South Salem, NY. $25. Cash or Check made out to Staying Put. RSVP by Thurs., April 24th.

Wed., April 30, 10am: Men's Coffee at Staying Put with Rob Fryer. Join Staying Put friends for coffee, treats and good conversation with Rob Fryer as he discusses his book, "Running For Your Life". Free. RSVP by Tues., April 29th.

April Birthdays

Pat Dobbs, Jack Foster, Marth Hutter, Meera Kapur,

Carol MacKimm, Bill Malone, Geraldine Michalik, Laszlo Papp, Chris Place, Rita Schaeffer,

Sandra Smith, Barbara Stewart, Barbara Wentzel, Barbara Whitcomb, Denise Widen

New Canaan Farmers Market 2025 Season

Saturdays, April 26 through Dec. 20 Lumberyard Parking Lot

Enjoy fresh fruit and vegetables and so much more, all from Connecticut vendors at the New Canaan Farmers Market. For more information go to: newcanaanfarmersmarket.net

Hello From Kate

In honor of this year’s Gridiron Fall Woman (details on next page), Wendy Coleman Dixon Hilboldt, I thought I’d share the first time I met Wendy. To clarify, it was the first time I met Wendy and didn’t even know it. It was a perfect summer weekend (our first here in New Canaan) and Adelaide took a fall. Not just any fall, one of those knock-the-wind-out-of-you falls. Prone to getting the wind knocked out of me as a kid, I was trying to reassure Adelaide that she would be okay. But in that kind of moment, you can’t catch a breath and you’re not sure how your body does this breathing thing so easily and unobtrusively 24 hours a day. Then something shifted and Adelaide started to lose consciousness and turned a frightful shade of grey-blue. In a fraction of a second Charles and I went from getting to the car to take her to the hospital to calling 911. I calculated that if I could run Adelaide down our (annoyingly) long driveway while Charles was informing the emergency team what was going on, we could winnow down the seconds she was unconscious. As I approached the end of the drive, the sound of sirens was growing. I thought, surely another accident must have happened because it was too fast to be for us. But sure enough, the police were immediately on the scene. With an oxygen tank. Sized for small child. EMS quickly pulled up beside and were able to assess Adelaide. As the emergency responders gingerly edged Adelaide into the papoose I stood up and was greeted by this calm, steady, warm emergency responder. Despite the fact that the quickest way to get me to crack in any stressful situation is to ask if I’m ok, this calm, kind, smart woman coached me back from my adrenaline surge asking me how I was doing, how long I lived here, telling me she lived close by and knows all my neighbors and that East was a wonderful school for Adelaide to enter as a Kindergartner. It seemed I needed to catch my breath again as well.

Fast forward to my early days here at Staying Put and learning from the inimitable Lila Coleman that her daughter is a “big deal over there at EMS” and then meeting Wendy face to face again, I was gob smacked and grateful. I told her the whole story assuming we were a one a bajillion of calls like this. But for better or worse, Wendy remembered the incident like it was yesterday. My gratitude knows no depths and I cannot imagine a more deserving recipient this year. Oh, and as a post-script, you can all guess: everything ended up ok. Thankfully. After a full assessment at Norwalk Hospital, and one EMS stuffed animal later, we learned that Adelaide gets vasovagal reactions. We are better prepared now because we made that call and got the help she needed.

Helpful Tip

In my story, it was an easy call to make- we knew Adelaide needed immediate medical attention. But I recognize that some situations and circumstances might have more nuance to them. We asked Wendy when and how best to use EMS and she offers:

NCEMS is an emergency service that transports our neighbors exclusively to Norwalk and Stamford Hospitals. This is free of charge. NCEMS urges people to call 911 immediately if you have:

• A sudden onset of difficulty breathing
• Any cardiac pain or other sudden onset of pain
• Any fainting spells, any falls that need evaluation especially in people over 65,
• Any change in mental status over a short period of time Diabetic emergencies
• And generally, if you think you need to go to an emergency room for immediate help.

When you call 911, your call is answered by our local police who also sends an officer to all medical calls. The police will connect you to our EMS dispatcher who will ask a few questions to discern whether or not you need our paramedic or just our EMTs to respond. These are highly trained dispatchers who can also give you first aid advice over the phone while you wait for EMS. The dispatcher will advise us whether or not we need to use our lights and sirens in responding to your home, or you can request a "silent approach". When EMS arrives (often accompanied by a police officer who helps us), you will be evaluated quickly and care will be given. Occasionally, it might not be necessary to go to a hospital and in that case, a refusal form must be signed.

In sum, when in doubt, please call 911. They are there to help and will work with you and your needs in any situation. 

The Gridiron Club of New Canaan

The Gridiron Club of New Canaan has a long-standing tradition of honoring our community leaders. This 63rd Annual dinner on the 24th and 25th of April will raise funds for the NCHS Scholarship Fund. For more information or to purchase tickets go to: gridironclubofnc.org

Lapham Center Programs

Call 203-594-3620 for more information and to RSVP

Tues., April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 11am - 12:30pm: Knitting with Sue Scanell. Call to schedule an appointment. Free.

Wed., April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 12:30pm: Blood Pressure and

Blood Sugar Screenings. Call to schedule an appointment. Free.

Thur., April 3, 17: Free Medicare Counseling. Dick Neville, a CHOICES certified Medicare counselor, provides free, objective, person-centered assistance so Medicare beneficiaries can make informed choices about their Medicare options and related benefits. He can guide you through enrolling in Medicare, choosing a Medicare supplement plan and a Part D prescription drug plan, understanding Medicare Advantage Plans, and answer other questions about Medicare. By appointment only. Free.

Fri., April 4, 11am: Medicare Basics with Dick Neville and Kathy Collins. Dick and Kathy will provide an overview of how Medicare works, coverage options, enrollment periods and key benefits. Coffee and treats will be served. Free.

Thurs., April 10, 2pm - 4pm, by appointment: Ask the Attorney

with Nedder and Associates. Private, 15-minute consultations to answer your legal or financial questions. Call to schedule an appointment. Free.

Fri., April 11, 11am: Health Talks with Shannon and Ellen. Meet with Shannon and Ellen from the Health Department for coffee and conversation. Free.

Wed., April 16, 12:30pm: Apple Watch Survival presented by Gary Webster. Master useful tasks and operate your watch like a pro. Learn to check time, get directions, phone home, and more. Gary Webster is a dynamic technology integrator and certified teacher, with over 15 years' experience teaching technology and design in the classroom. Free.

Wed., April 16, 2pm: Intergenerational Spring Bingo! Spring is here, and what better way to spend a fun-filled afternoon than coming to SPR-INGO! Come yourself or bring a child, grandchild, or neighbor along to enjoy an afternoon of fun and games. $5 at the door.

Staying Put in New Canaan Services and Staff

Our Team is Here for You

We provide New Canaan seniors with a wide range of practical services and social connections - from rides to helping with errands, minor home repairs and technology, to brightening the day with a call or visit - all making it easier for seniors to live confidently at home and stay engaged in the community.

Gina Z. Blum, Executive Director

director@stayingputnc.org

Kate Brambilla, Manager of Member Services

members@stayingputnc.org

Robin Bates-Mason, Manager of Events & Volunteers

events@stayingputnc.org

Iryna Radiuk, Office Administrator

admin@stayingputnc.org

Office Hours

Monday - Thursday, 9am to 5pm

Friday, 9am to 1pm

Please call us anytime

at 203-966-7762

Gina, Kate, Robin & Iryna