‘Whatever You Wanted, We Had It’: A Look Back at Breslow’s

In this day and age of specialty superstores and chains, it’s often difficult to imagine the variety store of yesteryear—quaint one-stop shops replete with pretty much everything and anything you’d need to get through the day. Such stores were common throughout suburbia for most of the 20th century, serving a specific need and purpose in a simpler time. And here in New Canaan, no one served that need and purpose better than Breslow’s. Founded in the 1930’s by brothers Ben and Mike, Breslow’s was a New Canaan fixture for nearly half a century, occupying the site of the town’s third firehouse, which—according to the New Canaan Historical Society—had stood at 32 Elm St. (Papyrus currently occupies the space) since 1892.

The Lighting of New Canaan’s Menorah, a God’s Acre Tradition

At 6 p.m. Sunday a New Canaan tradition will continue, as families of all denominations as well as town dignitaries and clergy from the area will gather to celebrate Hanukkah atop God’s Acre with the annual lighting of the menorah. The first light of the menorah will shine Sunday evening to signify the start of the holiday, with another light to shine each night until the eighth light, representing the miracle of Hanukkah in which a small amount of oil burned for eight days and nights, helping a small band of Jews defeat the oppression of the Syrian Greeks in Israel. “Hanukkah is in many ways a celebration of religious freedom,” Rabbi Levi Mendelow of Chabad New Canaan said. “I think that here in America and in New Canaan, celebrating Hanukkah is an incredible thing because it is a place of incredible religious freedom. And the fact that the Jewish people are able to celebrate openly and happily in a community that welcomes it is really a very special thing and very meaningful.”

Kids and Teens Bring the Heat at NFL Punt, Pass & Kick Competition

 

 

Connecticut girls and boys from ages 6 to 15 kicked off the 2015 NFL Punt, Pass & Kick Competition on Saturday, August 15. The competition was held at Water Tower Field in New Canaan, headed up by Chairperson for NFL Local in New Canaan Craig Hunt. “This is called a local competition that we are doing now,” Hunt said. “These go from June until the end of September. The sectionals start in October…in Cheshire Connecticut; and from there they go to the nationals.”

College-bound 2015 NCHS grad Clark Newlove, who was on hand to help out, said the experience can be amazing for participants.

‘We Won It for Him’: Taben Leads New Canaan Field Hockey Over Darien for FCIAC Crown

Two weeks ago this Saturday, field hockey was the last thing on Isabel Taben’s mind. That evening, the Rams senior co-captain’s father Charlie suffered a heart attack. It was Isabel who ran into the street to flag down the first responders after they called 911. The medics saved his life. Charlie was rushed to the hospital, where he ultimately recovered from cardiac arrest.