Around Town

‘It’s Really Taken Off’: A Terrifying Fundraiser on Buttery Road

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Though many local homeowners opt to forgo Halloween decorations this time of year, for Dr. Dani Cohen and her family, it is a spectacle months in the making. What began with a 12-foot-tall skeleton in their front yard four years ago has slowly grown into an intricate display, featuring lights, sound effects and even motion-activated animatronics. And this year, Cohen has partnered with St. Jude Children’s Hospital and their Skeleton’s for Hope program, a fundraiser which provides avid Halloween decorators an opportunity to turn their displays into something more. “We have a QR code out in the front of the house for families who come by, they can enjoy and have a much larger global impact for those who are in need of it,” Cohen told the New Canaanite.

News

‘He Was Our Number One Defender’: NCHS Alum Raises Funds in Memory of Coach Art Brown

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A New Canaan High School alum has successfully raised more than $8,000 and counting to help commemorate one of the Rams great athletic coaches. That coach is the late Art Brown, a seasoned instructor who provided invaluable mentorship and support to NCHS’s athletic community. Throughout his 15-year tenure as coach for NCHS’s track and cross country teams, he inspired hundreds to be the best they could be, going out of his way to ensure that all students had the individual support they needed. The fundraiser, started by NCHS ‘23 grad Jackie Siegel, aims to place two benches commemorating coach Brown in Waveny Park. Any excess funds raised will be donated to the scholarship fund started in his name.

Business

New Dermatology Practice To Open Downtown Next Month

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A new Dermatology practice is slated to open next month, located on 38 East Ave. Founded and led by board-certified Dermatologist and Dermatopathologist Dr. Elle H. de Moll, Elite Dermatology Physicians will begin seeing patients of all ages following their grand opening on Oct. 19. Originally from Wilton, de Moll earned her medical degree from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. Post college, De Moll completed an internship with the Yale program of Internal Medicine at Norwalk Hospital, where she was recognized as Intern of the Year.

Around Town

New Canaan Man Bicycles 4,000 Miles for Charity

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On Aug. 29, 58-year-old New Canaan resident Mark Thorsheim completed a 4,000-mile cross-country bicycle journey, successfully raising over $100,000 and counting for local charity Career Resources Incorporated. 

Starting his trip in Norwalk, Thorsheim would bike across 15 states, ascending 125,000 feet of elevation before reaching his final destination, Journey’s End Espresso, a coffee shop located in Astoria, Ore. “In the back of my mind, I’ve always wanted to ride across the country,” Thorsheim told NewCanaanite.com. “I started riding actively again when I turned 50, I used to play a lot of soccer, and just probably wore a few too many joints down. I had my knee replaced a few years ago and my hip replaced in February.

Around Town

Meet United Methodist Church’s New Pastor, Martha Epstein

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Religion can enter someone’s life in many ways, but for Martha Epstein, United Methodist Church’s new pastor, faith has been a constant presence. Born to a United Methodist Minister in Brooklyn, N.Y., Epstein would graduate from White Plains High School before attending Cornell for her bachelor’s degree. She would later go on to receive a master’s in Elementary Education from Pace University in addition to a master’s in Divinity from Drew University. While she would spend the first 10 years of her career working as a kindergarten teacher, Epstein found a new purpose in life once she started to spend her Sundays as a substitute pastor. 

“As time went on, I felt more and more called, I know people use that word a lot, but more and more this pull to be in the church, to work with people of all ages,” Epstein told NewCanaanite.com. “I was going through a bit of a rough time where I was teaching so I would come home from that and I didn’t feel as good.