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Articles by Patrick Sullivan
Iron industry relic finds new home on Main Street
SALISBURY — A relic of the local iron industry was moved from the former Bicentennial Park in Lakeville to a spot in front of the Salisbury Association’s Academy Building on Wednesday, Oct. 7. Known as a “salamander,” the solidified mass of waste material from the hearth of a blast furnace had been displayed in the park, now the site of the Holley Place affordable housing development.
Sheep join moviegoers for Fall Festival kickoff
SALISBURY — The Scoville Memorial Library kicked off the Fall Festival with a baa on Friday evening, Oct. 9, hosting an outdoor movie screening with live sheep among the guests. About 100 people gathered in the courtyard behind the library to watch “The Sheep Detectives,” most bundled up for the chilly weather and equipped with folding chairs and blankets.
Falls Village to celebrate ‘Autumn at the Town Farm’
SALISBURY — Larissa Vreeland, manager of the General Store on Main Street, led this year’s Salisbury Fall Festival, taking over from Jeannette Weber after her 14 years at the helm. Weber took the initiative in festival planning back in 2011 when it was primarily a church function held by the Salisbury Congregation.
Salisbury celebrates 69th Fall Festival
SALISBURY — Beautiful weather drew crowds to downtown Salisbury on Saturday, Oct. 10, as the town celebrated its 69th Fall Festival, a three-day event held Friday through Sunday, Oct. 9–11. Cars were parked on both sides of Route 44 west of the Scoville Memorial Library, well past the junction with Salmon Kill Road. The library lawn was crowded with children decorating pumpkins and receiving temporary henna tattoos.
Lakeville vigil remembers domestic violence victims, calls for change
LAKEVILLE — The names of 23 Connecticut residents, ages 1 to 83, killed in relationship violence in the past year were read aloud during Project SAGE’s candlelight vigil Thursday evening, Oct. 8. After each name, the speaker said, “We speak their name,” and the crowd responded, “We remember their name.” About 60 people gathered for the vigil, which honored those killed in the past year and called for change in the attitudes and behaviors that enable abuse.
Small trout, big lasagna and bad movies
I recently convened the fall meeting of CACA, which stands for Cinema, Angling and Culinary Appreciation. This takes place in Phoenicia, New York. We fish all day, make a bountiful dinner, and watch the world’s worst movies. CACA was founded about 25 years ago, back when we had to worry about the elderly VCR eating the tape of “Death Race 2000.” Attending this year were Steve DeSimone, who I met in the sixth grade, and my itinerant attorney Tom Gallucio.
A home for the rest of their nine lives Original
The first thing a visitor notices when entering the main building of The Last Post is the smell. There isn’t one. This is noteworthy because the room is filled with cats. The Last Post is a private cat sanctuary in Falls Village that provides a permanent home to more than 140 cats. The organization was founded in 1982 by Pegeen Fitzgerald, a New York radio personality and animal welfare advocate.
Salisbury commits $113,000 to Holley Place cleanup
SALISBURY — The Board of Selectmen voted Tuesday, Sept. 22, to put $113,000 in available Small Cities grant funds toward cleaning up contaminated soil at the Holley Place affordable housing site in Lakeville. Construction of the planned 14-apartment building at 11 Holley St. stopped after crews digging the foundation detected the smell of heating oil in June. First Selectman Curtis Rand told the board early last month that the cleanup was expected to cost between $165,000 and $175,000.
Salisbury portrait heads to New York museum
SALISBURY — The Salisbury Association is loaning a painting to the American Folk Art Museum in New York, but first the portrait had to come off the wall of the Academy Building. On Tuesday, Sept. 22, Caleb Von Gardey and Paul Guerino of Northeast Transit Fine Art Services of Waterville, New York, arrived to collect the 1844 portrait of Maria Birch Coffing and Jane Elizabeth Winslow, painted by Edwin White.
Rain and wind fail to deter Salisbury CROP Hunger walkers
SALISBURY — More than 100 people turnedout on a blustery, wet afternoon for the CROP Hunger Walk in Salisbury and Lakeville on Sunday, Sept. 27. Organizer Patricia Palmer said she had been watching the weather forecast and decided Sunday morning to go ahead with the walk. Participants came from Salisbury and nearby towns, with sizable contingents from Salisbury School, Indian Mountain School and The Hotchkiss School.
Sugar maple replaces memorial elm outside Academy Building
SALISBURY — A new tree stands outside the Salisbury Association’s Academy Building on Main Street, continuing a memorial to Susan Getzendanner, the town’s only victim of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The Princeton American elm planted in her honor fell during the July 4 storm. Its accompanying plaque remained, but the loss of the tree left a gap in front of the building. Getzendanner was a vice president at Fiduciary Trust.
Salisbury School tunnel under Route 44 nears completion
SALISBURY — Construction of a tunnel beneath Route 44 connecting Salisbury School’s north and south campuses is nearing completion. Vafa Vahid, the private boys’ school’s chief financial officer and chief operating officer, said Monday, Sept. 28, that the tunnel will likely be ready for use by mid-November. He did not have a date for the removal of the temporary lane barriers on Route 44. Vahid said construction began in May but stopped in June while the school awaited state permits.
Region One board hears update on HVRHS Land Lab
FALLS VILLAGE — Bruce Bennett, chair of the Agricultural Science and Technology Education (ASTE) advisory board at Housatonic Valley Regional High School, updated the Region One Board of Education on activities at the Land Lab during its monthly meeting Monday, Sept. 14. The Land Lab occupies two acres leased from Eversource north of the HVRHS campus on Warren Turnpike. “It’s a hands-on experience in agriculture education,” Bennett said.
Salisbury voters to decide how to fund Lakeville station move
SALISBURY — Voters who have already approved moving the Lakeville railroad station building will be asked to vote again, this time on how to pay for the project. At a Sept. 16 town meeting, voters authorized spending up to $650,000 on the move. The Board of Finance held a special meeting Tuesday, Sept. 22, to discuss funding for the project. Comptroller Joe Cleaveland said the town’s debt reduction account has about $725,000 available.
HVRHS fundraiser helps make world travel possible for students
SALISBURY — The annual Wine Dinner fundraiser for the Housatonic Valley Regional High School International Travel Club was held at the White Hart in Salisbury on Friday evening, Sept. 18. The club raises money to allow students to participate in its trips regardless of their ability to pay. The first Wine Dinner, spearheaded in 2019 by Denis Cohn of Falls Village, raised $25,000, and subsequent dinners have raised similar amounts.
Sharon artist takes top prize at Lime Rock art show Original
The annual juried art show at Trinity Episcopal Church in Lime Rock was won by Mi-Kyung Hwang of Sharon for “Wild Hazelnut from Eggleston.” The winners were announced at the show’s opening reception at the church Friday evening, Sept. 18. Organizer Theresa Kenny said the show attracted some 66 artists, 10 of whom were new to the show.
Stilt-dancing troupe ends its two-decade run
FALLS VILLAGE — Mark Alexander, the creative force behind the stilt-dancing troupe Mortal Beasts & Deities, is retiring. Sort of. Interviewed at his cottage in the Pine Grove section of Falls Village on Friday, Sept. 11, Alexander said he has disbanded the company, but he is not retiring completely. “I’m retiring from running the stilt dancing company.
Voters approve $650K move of historic Lakeville train station
SALISBURY — Voters overwhelmingly approved spending up to $650,000 to move Lakeville’s historic train station and construct a new foundation during a well-attended town meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 16. The proposal passed 111-37, with 105 residents voting in person and another 43 online. The project calls for raising the Ethan Allen Street building, moving it back 19 feet and constructing a new foundation.
A fishing two-fer: Fly tying and a new Farmington River guide
I wandered into Center on Main, a community center in Falls Village, on Thursday evening, Sept. 17. where resident Greer Sillick was hosting his monthly fly-tying meetup. I don’t tie my own. I’ve got enough problems. I know what would happen, too.
Selectmen back $113,000 request for new ambulance
FALLS VILLAGE — The Board of Selectmen approved a request from the Fire Commission for $113,000 toward a new ambulance scheduled for delivery in November. The selectmen acted during their regular monthly meeting Monday, Sept. 14. The money would come from a town account designated for emergency services vehicles and equipment. The request now goes to the Board of Finance, which would refer it to a town meeting for final approval.
Contra dancing lessons begin in Falls Village
FALLS VILLAGE — Tom Scott and Rachel Gall drew a good turnout for the first in a series of three contra dancing lessons at the Center on Main on Saturday evening, Sept. 12. Eleven people attended, enough to form six couples with Scott joining the dancers. Before the lesson began, Scott described contra dancing as a “cross between square dancing and swing dancing.” He also emphasized that contra dancing is not the same as line dancing.
Children celebrate creativity at Scoville’s Dot Day
SALISBURY — Children escaped the rain Sunday, Sept. 13, for an afternoon of ice cream, balloons, raffles, art projects and other activities at Scoville Memorial Library. The library and Project SAGE hosted the event in celebration of International Dot Day, inspired by Peter H. Reynolds’ children’s book “The Dot.” Project SAGE is a Lakeville-based nonprofit domestic violence agency serving communities in Northwest Connecticut and nearby areas of New York and Massachusetts.
North Canaan marks Sept. 11 with reading of victims’ names
NORTH CANAAN — North Canaan observed the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks with a reading of the names of nearly 3,000 people killed at the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and aboard United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers fought back against the hijackers. Brian Allyn of North Canaan, a member of the Canaan Fire Company, and Nick DeAngelis of Salisbury coordinated the observance Friday, Sept.
Northwest Corner communities gather to mark 25th anniversary of Sept. 11 attacks
Among the observances held across the Northwest Corner, communities in Kent, Sharon, North Canaan and Cornwall marked the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks with ceremonies honoring those killed. In Kent, residents gathered at Town Hall, where Peter Gadiel spoke about his son, James, a Kent native who was 23 when he was killed in the World Trade Center’s North Tower. The ceremony included prayers, bagpipes and remarks from officials, firefighters and veterans.
Holley Place oil cleanup expected to cost up to $175,000
SALISBURY — Soil testing at the Holley Place affordable housing site on Holley Street found contamination from old heating oil, but the situation is “not as dire” as initially feared, First Selectman Curtis Rand told the Board of Selectmen at its regular meeting Monday, Sept. 14. Construction crews digging the foundation for Holley Place in June detected the smell of fuel oil and notified the developer, the Salisbury Housing Committee, a private nonprofit organization.
Three seriously injured in Lakeville cybertruck crash
William Perotti & Sons plumbing and heating business will celebrate its 100th anniversary with a party on Sept. 18. Among the family members are Frank Perotti, seated, and Charlie, Mary and Jean Perotti standing. NORTH CANAAN – It is a story that combines the realization of the American dream, the strong bonds of family, and a love of community. It began 100 years ago, when William Perotti opened a small plumbing shop in a barn on Lower Road.
First Friday music series features Connecticut premiere
Vocalist Alison Gish Jenkins, who sings in the low contralto range, and pianist Melody Fader performed Samuel Barber’s “Hermit Songs” (1953) and Samuel Butler’s “Stabat Mater” (2025) at the Congregational Church of Salisbury on Friday, Sept. 4. The performance was part of the church’s First Friday Music series, which presents 30-minute concerts at noon on the first Friday of each month.
Falls Village voters approve school technology funding
FALLS VILLAGE — Voters approved funding for a technology upgrade at Lee H. Kellogg School and consolidated funding for engineering work on Cobble Road during a 13-minute town meeting Wednesday, Sept. 2. The school will receive up to $4,879 for a Promethean ActivPanel to replace the pull-down screen and projector currently used for presentations.
Visitors explore North Canaan’s iron-making history
NORTH CANAAN — At around 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, the volunteer crew at Beckley Furnace was ready to share the history of the 19th-century iron-making site with visitors arriving for a Housatonic Heritage Walk. Geoff Brown of Salisbury and Bob and True Anderson of East Canaan waited near the restored furnace and talked about the work undertaken to preserve the historic site in the early 2000s.
Salisbury exhibit explores ways to restore nature
SALISBURY —The Salisbury Association held a reception for its new exhibit, “Rewilding,” Friday, Sept. 4, at the Academy Building on Main Street.
Historic Festival parade brings vintage cars, racing legends to Northwest Corner
FALLS VILLAGE — A 17-mile procession brought more than 130 vintage cars through the Northwest Corner Thursday, Sept. 3, as hundreds of spectators lined the route from Lime Rock Park to downtown Falls Village for the opening of Historic Festival 44. Students came out to watch as the procession passed The Hotchkiss School.
Student films bring hidden history to the big screen
MILLERTON– Five student films on little-known aspects of history were shown at The Moviehouse in Millerton Thursday, Aug. 27. Rhonan Mokriski, a history teacher at Salisbury School, introduced the films, which were from the 2026 Troutbeck Symposium, held at the Troutbeck hotel complex in Amenia. “Hamilton in Salisbury” by Rocco Famularo, a student at Salisbury School, used primary sources and some detective work to establish that Alexander Hamilton did in fact have a connection to Salisbury.
Great Mountain Forest demonstrates how to manage invasive plants
FALLS VILLAGE—More than a dozen people interested in forest management gathered at the Yale Forestry Camp in Great Mountain Forest (GMF) on Aug. 28 before heading into the woods to examine invasive species and ways to manage them. GMF forester Kate Regan-Loomis; Peter Picone, a wildlife biologist with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP); and Eileen Fielding, the recently retired director of Sharon Audubon and a GMF board member, led the group.
Salisbury Band marks end of summer with patriotic favorites
SALISBURY — The Salisbury Band played its traditional end-of-summer concert Saturday, Aug. 29, on the lawn of the Scoville Memorial Library. About 80 people turned out to hear old favorites, including “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” the “Armed Forces Medley,” and “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” which closed the concert. The program also featured newer works. “American Flourish,” composed in 2009 by Robert W.
Sheep draw a crowd at Scoville Library
SALISBURY — Excitement was in the air at the Scoville Memorial Library Wednesday, Aug. 26, when the staff of Le Petit Ranch arrived with seven sheep, temporary fencing and plenty of treats for children to feed the animals. Le Petit Ranch is a nonprofit organization based in Sheffield, Massachusetts. It provides educational and community-based opportunities through animal-assisted activities.
Student films bring hidden history to the big screen
MILLERTON – Five student films on little-known aspects of history were shown at The Moviehouse in Millerton Thursday, Aug. 27. Rhonan Mokriski, a history teacher at Salisbury School, introduced the films, which were from the 2026 Troutbeck Symposium, held at the Troutbeck hotel complex in Amenia. “Hamilton in Salisbury” by Rocco Famularo, a student at Salisbury School, used primary sources and some detective work to establish that Alexander Hamilton did in fact have a connection to Salisbury.
Songs, sketches and a llama delight children at Scoville Memorial Library
SALISBURY — Danny Tieger is known for “Danny Sings About Everything,” a series of children’s events at the Scoville Memorial Library featuring Tieger, his guitar, an easel with a sketch pad and markers, and a crowd of children brimming with suggestions. From this mix, Tieger creates extemporaneous songs and drawings. On Sunday, Aug. 23, things got more specific. “Danny Sings About a Real, Live Llama” featured a llama named Harley and his owner, Debbie Labbe of Country Quilt Farm in Cornwall.
Scoville Library talk explores pitfalls and benefits of AI
SALISBURY — The confused and the curious convened at the Scoville Memorial Library on Thursday, Aug. 20 for a freewheeling discussion of the 2024 book “AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What It Can’t, and How to Tell the Difference” by Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor. Leading the discussion were Kat Zdar and Stevo Ledbetter, self-described “tech survivors” with considerable experience in the field of technology. It was the second installment of the discussion.
Music, dancing close Hunt Library’s final summer concert
FALLS VILLAGE — More than 50 people turned out for the final free outdoor concert of the summer at the David M. Hunt Library Friday, Aug. 21. The event featured an open-mic format, and master of ceremonies Adam Sher encouraged the audience to get involved in any way they liked, such as performing gymnastics or telling a joke.
Finance board backs $611,000 Lakeville Train Station move
SALISBURY — The Board of Finance unanimously recommended sending a long-discussed $611,000 plan to relocate the historic Lakeville Train Station on Ethan Allen Street to a town meeting. The board voted during a special meeting Wednesday, Aug. 19. The proposal will go before voters at a town meeting in mid-September.
Augustfest brings festive finale to Falls Village summer
FALLS VILLAGE — The band played, the brats sizzled on the grill, the beer flowed and bids were made on auction items at the David M. Hunt Library’s Augustfest summer fundraiser Sunday, Aug. 23.
Robert Cronin, 90, reflects on career as an artist and a brush with Picasso
FALLS VILLAGE — Painter Robert Cronin provided an overview of his career – including a close encounter with Pablo Picasso – at the David M. Hunt Library Thursday, Aug. 13, shortly after the opening of his current exhibit of paintings on the library’s ArtWall, on view through Sept. 11.
Nostalgic items find new homes at Noble Horizons tag sale
SALISBURY — The dining room at Noble Horizons was packed with shoppers and items for sale on Friday, Aug. 14. Sheila Moore, a summer resident of Salisbury, had an armful of jigsaw puzzles earmarked for a friend on Mt. Riga, where there is no electricity and little cell phone service. “It’s a traditional way to occupy the time,” she said. Amy Lake of Salisbury found a small wooden carving of a bird on a stick. “It looked sad, so I bought it,” she said. Amy Lake findsa bird carvingon a stick.
Salisbury Association opens environmental exhibit on rewilding
SALISBURY — A new exhibit at the Salisbury Association explores ways to reintroduce native plants, animals and landscapes to the region. “Rewilding” looks at conservation efforts large and small, including steps homeowners can take on their own properties. For “small landscapes” such as gardens and backyards, homeowners can remove invasive plants and replace them with native flowering plants, shrubs and trees.
Falls Village receives funding for Cobble Road bridge
FALLS VILLAGE — Falls Village has received state funding to replace a deteriorating bridge and culvert on Cobble Road, Falls Village First Selectman David Barger said during a monthly meeting on Monday, Aug. 10. The project could require temporary repairs to a separate bridge on the road that has been closed since March.
Historic Lakeville Train Station inches closer to $600K move
SALISBURY — The Historic District Commission approved the town’s plan to move Lakeville’s historic train station building on Ethan Allen Street back 19 feet after a public hearing Wednesday, Aug. 12. If approved during a town vote, officials say the work could begin as early as this fall. First Selectman Curtis Rand said the plan is to move the building back 19 feet, construct a new foundation and basement, and raise the building overall.
Historic festival boasts period costumes and tales from a one-room schoolhouse
FALLS VILLAGE — The year-long celebration of America’s 250th anniversary continued in Falls Village on Saturday, Aug. 15, with a bustling downtown and volunteers dressed in Colonial-era garb at a festival hosted by the Falls Village-Canaan Historical Society. Highlights included reenactors, house tours, horse-drawn carriage rides and music.
August, one bass at a time Original
Largemouth bass are not picky eaters. When engaged they usually dive and tug. Once in a while they leap. They are easily discouraged, however, and after a minute or two come meekly to the net. Every August I shift gears and head to the ancestral HQ with no electricity, minimal plumbing and a warm-water lake chock-full of largemouth bass, not to mention smallmouth, perch, pickerel and panfish. The largemouth are the main attraction. I used an antique rowboat for years.
Salisbury summer reading program wraps for the season
SALISBURY — The children’s summer reading program at the Scoville Memorial Library wrapped up Sunday, Aug. 9, with prizes, games, music from the Berkshire Resilience Brass Band and, of course, more books. Children’s Services Coordinator Kyla DeRisi said 24 children in Kindergarten through sixth grade signed up for the program this summer.
Life-sized Candy Land experience comes to Center on Main
FALLS VILLAGE — More than 30 children immersed themselves in the world of Candy Land at The Center on Main Thursday, Aug. 6, to become moving pawns in a life-sized version of the classic board game. A collaboration between The Center on Main and David M. Hunt Library, the life-sized Candy Land took place in the main room of the Center, which was decked out with balloons and colorful props, some repurposed from previous Falls Village Children’s Theater productions.
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