All aboard for Railroad Days!

Sure, it rained on Friday night, but the relatively light downpour was nothing compared to the intense storm that hit the annual Railroad Days festivities in 2010. Last year, the rain and winds hit suddenly and not only drenched the firefighters marching in the parade, it also lofted at least one vendor’s tent up into the air.So yes, it rained this year on Friday but not enough to deter any carnival-goers from coming out for the many activities offered as part of the annual center-of-town celebration.“We’re not quite sure why, but the carnival was especially well-attended on Friday night,” said John Lannen, who organizes Railroad Days for the North Canaan Chamber of Commerce. “We were surprised. There were more people on Friday than on Sunday, when the weather was beautiful but hot.”Lannen said his favorite day was Thursday, July 7, opening day of the carnival. “The carnival is for the kids, it’s a family event,” he said. “And there’s no admission fee for the petting zoo, so the children can come in and out all day long. All it costs is a quarter, if they want to buy food to give the animals.”For the full schedule of events for the coming weekend (Railroad Days continues until Sunday, July 17), go online to www.canaanchamber.com and click on the photo of the fireworks.This year’s firemen’s parade promises to be one of the largest ever held here. It celebrates the Canaan Fire Company’s 100th anniversary and companies from throughout the region are expected to participate. “Come early, parking is limited and the roads will be closed from 5 p.m.,” Lannen advised.

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Father Joseph Kurnath

LAKEVILLE — Father Joseph G. M. Kurnath, retired priest of the Archdiocese of Hartford, passed away peacefully, at the age of 71, on Sunday, June 29, 2025.

Father Joe was born on May 21, 1954, in Waterbury, Connecticut. He attended kindergarten through high school in Bristol.

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Club baseball at Fuessenich Park

Travel league baseball came to Torrington Thursday, June 26, when the Berkshire Bears Select Team played the Connecticut Moose 18U squad. The Moose won 6-4 in a back-and-forth game. Two players on the Bears play varsity ball at Housatonic Valley Regional High School: shortstop Anthony Foley and first baseman Wes Allyn. Foley went 1-for-3 at bat with an RBI in the game at Fuessenich Park.

 

  Anthony Foley, rising senior at Housatonic Valley Regional High School, went 1-for-3 at bat for the Bears June 26.Photo by Riley Klein 

 
Siglio Press: Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature

Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.

Richard Kraft

Siglio Press is a small, independent publishing house based in Egremont, Massachusetts, known for producing “uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.” Founded and run by editor and publisher Lisa Pearson, Siglio has, since 2008, designed books that challenge conventions of both form and content.

A visit to Pearson’s airy studio suggests uncommon work, to be sure. Each of four very large tables were covered with what looked to be thousands of miniature squares of inkjet-printed, kaleidoscopically colored pieces of paper. Another table was covered with dozens of book/illustration-size, abstracted images of deer, made up of colored dots. For the enchanted and the mystified, Pearson kindly explained that these pieces were to be collaged together as artworks by the artist Richard Kraft (a frequent contributor to the Siglio Press and Pearson’s husband). The works would be accompanied by writings by two poets, Elizabeth Zuba and Monica Torre, in an as-yet-to-be-named book, inspired by a found copy of a worn French children’s book from the 1930s called “Robin de Bois” (Robin Hood).

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Cycling season: A roundup of our region’s rentals and where to ride them

Cyclists head south on the rail trail from Copake Falls.

Alec Linden

After a shaky start, summer has well and truly descended upon the Litchfield, Berkshire and Taconic hills, and there is no better way to get out and enjoy long-awaited good weather than on two wheels. Below, find a brief guide for those who feel the pull of the rail trail, but have yet to purchase their own ten-speed. Temporary rides are available in the tri-corner region, and their purveyors are eager to get residents of all ages, abilities and inclinations out into the open road (or bike path).

For those lucky enough to already possess their own bike, perhaps the routes described will inspire a new way to spend a Sunday afternoon. For more, visit lakevillejournal.com/tag/bike-route to check out two ride-guides from local cyclists that will appeal to enthusiasts of many levels looking for a varied trip through the region’s stunning summer scenery.

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