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

New Canaan Old Timers’ Honoree Ceremony Set for Sept. 15 [Q&A]

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A nonprofit organization that honors standout athletes from throughout New Canaan history is gearing up for its annual Honoree Ceremony. The New Canaan Old Timers will induct six new members during the Sept. 15 event (register here). We put some questions to Old Timers Vice President and Historian Terry Dinan ahead of the ceremony. Here’s our exchange.

Around Town

Did You Hear … ?

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The New Canaan Police Department’s animal control officer on the morning of Friday, Aug. 30 used a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich to draw in a skittish young dog, seemingly abandoned on Cedar Lane. 

Officer Sean Godejohn said he was going away that weekend and asked Greenwich Animal Control if they could watch the Black Tavern/Belgian Shepherd mix female. Greenwich agreed, and “the staff fell in love with the dog and asked if they could keep the dog and adopt the dog out,” Godejohn said. He agreed, and the dog will be up for adoption via Greenwich Animal Control on Saturday (Godejohn got the bacon, egg and cheese from Club Sandwich.)

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Now showing at The Playhouse movie theater on Elm Street: “Reagan” and “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.”

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Two big art exhibition openings coming up: The Carriage Barn 2024 Annual Member Show has an opening reception 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7 (runs through Oct.

Around Town

Coffee’s on for Thursday

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Join fellow residents and NewCanaanite.com editor Michael Dinan for the monthly Community Coffee, to be held 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 5 in the Jim & Dede Bartlett Auditorium at New Canaan Library. The Coffee is presented in partnership with the library, and the brew is supplied by Zumbach’s Gourmet Coffee (thank you, Doug). The free, public coffee is a group conversation about what’s happening around town, moderated by Dinan. Topics come from attendees and we spend no more than 10 minutes per subject.

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.