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Shaving cream flies as Lakeville celebrates Halloween
Patrick L. Sullivan
Nov 04, 2026
Skeletons and mock gravestones set a spooky scene at Lakeville’s Town Grove.
Patrick L. Sullivan
LAKEVILLE — Halloween decorations, cider and doughnuts greeted visitors to the Town Grove Saturday evening, Oct. 31, before about 40 children gathered for the annual silly string and shaving cream fight.
Lisa Hoage offered hot and cold cider and cider doughnuts, while hayrides departed roughly every half hour, depending on demand.
At about 5:30 p.m., the Grove was quiet, with a dozen adults gathered around a fire and a handful of young children arriving with their parents in search of candy.
The adults discussed the accuracy of Scooby-Doo costumes, made predictions for the coming winter and puzzled over where Barbara Wiggins could find vacuum cleaner bags for her older Bissell machine.
Activity picked up around 7 p.m., when children who had been trick-or-treating in the neighborhood between Prospect and Bostwick streets began making their way to the Grove for the silly string and shaving cream fight.
The popular activity was confined to the playground, a boundary Grove manager Stacey Dodge made clear.
“If you’ve got shaving cream, you need to be away from the cars!” she announced to an arriving group. “All shaving cream in the playground!”
At 7:30 p.m., trick-or-treating was still busy along the eastbound side of Main Street between Prospect and Bostwick streets and on the westbound side between Lincoln City Road and the Grassland Dessert Cafe, which was packed.
Trick-or-treaters used the designated Main Street crosswalks, remembering to press the buttons that activate the flashing warning lights.
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‘Thriller’ draws a crowd as Kent celebrates Halloween
Lans Christensen
Nov 04, 2026
Students dressed as zombies perform the “Thriller” flash mob at Golden Falcon Field in Kent on Halloween.
Lans Christensen
KENT — Goblins, ghouls and witches filled Main Street on Halloween as trick-or-treaters made their way along the sidewalks, where generous treaters handed out candy.
45 on Main, a coffee, ice cream and candy shop, was a popular center of activity, with hayrides, music and witches offering treats to children.
As 7 p.m. approached, a crowd gathered around Golden Falcon Field for the “Thriller” flash mob. South Kent School students, dressed as zombies, were joined by 10 students from Kent Center School and four from Kent School.
With choreography by Kimberly Compton, the dancers performed a routine inspired by Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” music video.
An estimated 250 people watched the performance, while at least 1,000 people visited Main Street over the course of the evening.
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Sharon celebrates Halloween with trunk or treat
Ruth Epstein
Nov 04, 2026
A mummy display greets visitors at Sharon Center School’s trunk or treat Friday, Oct. 30
Ruth Epstein
SHARON — The Sharon Center School parking lot was transformed into a Halloween paradise Friday afternoon as the Parks and Recreation Commission, the school and its PTA hosted a trunk or treat.
Cars with elaborately decorated trunks filled with sweet treats delighted visitors young and old.
“I’m so glad it turned out so well,” said Parks and Rec Director Bryan Failla, looking over the scene. “It’s great to see people coming together.”
Several organizations handed out treats, including the Taghhannuck Grange and Sharon Historical Society.
Heather Mathews, a teacher at the school and founder of the Roving Clover book bus, which distributes free books to children, came dressed as Dolly Parton. She joked that it took six pairs of socks to emulate the singer’s figure.
Stefan Wolf drew plenty of attention in his Tomb of the Mummy cave, where he slowly rose from a lying position to sit upright.
“This is fun to do for the kids,” he said. “All the materials in here are organic, including sand and stones. And it didn’t cost anything.”
Kindergarten teacher Allison Bryant decorated her trunk with a theme inspired by her favorite movie, “The Sandlot.” Her 11-pound Cavalier King Charles spaniel joined the festivities.
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10,000-panel solar project proposed in North Canaan
Ruth Epstein
Nov 03, 2026
NORTH CANAAN — A proposed solar installation at 35 Lower Road would place more than 10,000 panels across about 25 acres, with the land also used for hay farming and sheep grazing.
Project representatives presented a preliminary layout to the Inland Wetlands Commission Oct. 22 to inform members and seek feedback. Approval would come from the Connecticut Siting Council.
Commission Chairman Barry Brown said Kevin Costello of CTEC Solar and engineer Jin Tao of Burns & McDonnell attended via Zoom to outline Lori and Patrick Foley’s proposal for their property.
“They just came to let us know what was planned,” Brown said. “Jurisdiction is with the siting council because it’s over one megawatt.”
The applicants described a dual-use solar and agricultural operation over a 20-year period.
Tao said the installation would involve very little ground disturbance. The panels would stand 10 to 12 feet above the ground, with 15 feet between rows, and would move to track the sun.
He said the layout would allow vegetation to grow beneath the panels and leave a gap for high-tension wires. According to the presentation, no endangered species have been flagged on the parcel.
Wetlands have been identified on the property. The presentation outlined further steps, including notifying the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and preparing a full environmental impact report and a formal wetlands delineation map.
The town may seek intervenor status during the review process.
North Canaan currently has two commercial solar installations, one on Sand Road and another on East Main Street. Several farms in the area have smaller installations.
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Bad tempers and clutter put Swap Shop under strain
Patrick L. Sullivan
Nov 03, 2026
The Swap Shop at the Salisbury–Sharon Transfer Station faces a possible temporary closure amid disputes among patrons and problems with unsuitable donations.
Patrick L. Sullivan
SALISBURY — Disputes among patrons and unsuitable donations are creating problems at the Salisbury–Sharon Transfer Station’s popular Swap Shop, where the manager warned that continued incivility could force a temporary closure.
The Swap Shop allows residents to leave usable items they no longer want and take home items others have dropped off for free. But disagreements over people collecting goods for resale, along with unwanted donations and clutter, are testing the operation.
Transfer station manager Brian Bartram described the problems at the Transfer Station Recycling Advisory Committee’s Oct. 21 meeting.
Some patrons have questioned whether others have the right to be at the Swap Shop at all, Bartram said. He described settling one such dispute by making clear that anyone with a transfer station sticker has access.
“As far as I’m concerned they can come in,” he said.
TRAC Chair Barbara Bettogile said some residents are annoyed by people who spend extended periods at the Swap Shop collecting items to resell.
Bartram acknowledged that some patrons do so, but said access comes down to whether they have paid for their sticker.
“If people can’t be civil we’re going to have to shut down the Swap Shop for a while because we can’t be mediating when people think someone shouldn’t be there,” he said.
Disagreements over who can use the shop are compounded by differences over what belongs there. Patrons routinely ignore signs explaining where items should go and what can and cannot be dropped off, Bartram said.
“We’re never going to solve the fact that somebody thinks their three-legged chair is a good thing to put in the Swap Shop because somebody could fix it,” he said.
Books present a recurring challenge. Committee member Karen Lundeen said people leave books with little appeal, including old textbooks, and sometimes become defensive when questioned about their donations.
Asked whether a dedicated book recycling container would help, Bartram said the station had unsuccessfully tried that twice.
Keeping the space orderly is another persistent problem. Bartram said staff can empty it completely before the transfer station opens at 8 a.m., and “it’ll be filled up and messy by 2 p.m.”
Volunteers have helped residents with their donations in the past, but stopped showing up after unpleasant interactions, according to the committee’s discussion.
Committee members considered sturdier signs and a renewed roster and rotation of volunteers. Bartram suggested giving volunteers vests to convey authority.
The committee plans to revisit the issues at a future meeting.
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A new way to manage your subscription
Lakeville Journal
Nov 03, 2026
The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News have a new subscription system, and with it, something our subscribers haven’t had before: the ability to manage their own accounts online.
Once you’ve set up your account, you can renew, update your payment card, change your mailing address or check your expiration date at any hour. Until now, any change meant calling or writing to our office. Many of you will appreciate the convenience, and if you’d still rather talk to a person or renew by mail, we’re always glad to help.
Your account is also how you read the Digital Replica Edition, the full paper page by page as it appears in print, on any device.
If you subscribe to the paper, you’ll need to create a new account. Unfortunately, your old login will not work. We know this is a nuisance, and we’re sorry for it. It’s a one-time step, and it lets us serve you better:
Go to www.lakevillejournal.com and click “subscribe”. From there, you should see a link to “Create Login”.
Enter your last name as it appears on your subscription, then choose a verification option so the system can match you to your existing subscription.
Your subscription term and expiration date carry over unchanged. If you subscribe to print, digital access is included.
If you aren’t yet a subscriber, we would be delighted to welcome you.
If you run into any trouble, we’ll work with you to sort it out quickly. Call us at 860-435-9873 x301, Monday through Friday, or email circulation@lakevillejournal.com. We’ll be glad to walk you through it.
This is the first of several improvements we’re making to how we serve readers.
Thank you for your support, and for reading.
— James Clark,CEO and Publisher
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