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Board of Ed Honors NCHS Seniors Isabel Taben, Charlie Lenihan

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The Board of Education on Monday night honored two New Canaan High School seniors recognized for their leadership skills, concern for others, willingness to take on challenges and ability to make difficult decisions. The Student Leadership Award from the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education—a Wethersfield-based advocacy group known as ‘CABE’—goes to a male and female senior from participating districts who also exemplify a willingness commit to a project, diplomacy, an ability to understand issues clearly and dedication to honor commitment, New Canaan’s superintendent of schools, Dr. Bryan Luizzi, told about 100 people at a Board of Education meeting. This year’s CABE award winners are Isabel Taben and Charlie Lenihan, as decided by teachers, counselors and administrators, Luizzi said at the meeting, held in the Wagner Room at NCHS. Luizzi described Washington University-bound (in St. Louis) Lenihan—a National Merit Finalist who also earned the Norm Ricker Award, Director’s Award and Pennyweights Award at the recent NCHS Recognition Ceremony— as a student who “loves to engage his peers and teachers in lively theoretical debates” and possesses an “insatiable curiosity” and “loves to learn.”

“Charlie’s boundless energy and positive spirit are infectious, and his passion for life is inspiring for those around him,” Luizzi said.

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Four New Canaan High School Seniors Sign on National Letter of Intent Day [SLIDESHOW]

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Four New Canaan High School student-athletes signed letters of intent Wednesday to play sports in college, at an event held in the auxiliary gym and sponsored by the Athletic Department. The ceremony is for senior athletes signing National Letters of Intent or who have received a “likely letter” from an Ivy League school, Athletic Director Jay Egan said. Click through the photo gallery above to view photos of these standout NCHS Rams and their families at the signing, and to read comments from them on next year. Wednesday’s ceremony follows an early signing day in November that saw five NCHS seniors sign letters of intent to play sports in college. The seniors who signed Wednesday are:

Zach Allen—The NCHS football team’s all-time sacks leader, and a co-captain of the state champion Rams this past season, Allen made headlines Sunday when he announced that he’ll attend Boston College rather than Northwestern, as originally planned.

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New Canaan Police Honor Life-Saving Officers, Vigilant Local Man

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The New Canaan Police Department is in the process of simplifying its mission statement to a single sentence: “To protect and serve our community with courage, professionalism and integrity.”

Courage, professionalism and integrity—in the predawn hours of Saturday, Oct. 18, NCPD Officers Michael O’Sullivan and Brian Micena demonstrated those heroic qualities in saving the life of 52-year-old Charlie Taben, a New Canaan resident who had gone into cardiac arrest at about 2:45 a.m.

When officers arrived at the house within minutes of the dispatcher’s call, the officers found that Taben had no pulse and wasn’t breathing, Chief Leon Krolikowski recalled Monday morning. “Brian and Michael relied on their training, worked as a team and connected the AED [automated external defibrillator],” initiated a shock and commenced CPR—almost certainly saving Taben’s life, Krolikowski said during an Awards Ceremony for the officers, held in the Lapham Community Center. O’Sullivan and Micena earned the “Medical Service Award,” Krolikowski said as the Taben family—Charlie, his wife Eve and their three daughters—looked on, as well as about 30 guests, including Police Commissioners Stuart Sawabini and Sperry DeCew, Fire Chief Jack Hennessey, Selectman Beth Jones and Emergency Management Director Mike Handler. “This award is presented to any member of our department for an act performed in the line of duty which through disregard for personal safety or prompt and alert actions results in saving a life or preventing serious physical injury,” the chief said.

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NewCanaanite.com Athletes of the Week: Isabel Taben and Frank Cognetta

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The NewCanaanite.com Athlete of the Week is sponsored by Baskin-Robbins, Connecticut Sandwich Co., Joe’s Pizza and Mackenzie’s. Congratulations to Frank Cognetta and Isabel Taben, the NewCanaanite.com Athletes of the Week. At the start of the season, Frank Cognetta didn’t know exactly when he’d be back on the football field, as a broken foot was expected to have the senior co-captain sidelined until at least mid-October. The healing process went better than expected and Cognetta made his much-anticipated debut Homecoming weekend in limited action against Greenwich. One week later Cognetta scored three touchdowns in a 35-14 win at Warde, and this past week he capped off his comeback with a 30 carry, 200-yard performance against St.

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

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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.