A wildlife lover’s dream come true
Lindsay Burr with a dog in the town kennel. Burr is Animal Control Officer for Falls Village and North Canaan.
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Turning Back the Pages - May 7, 2026
Norma Bosworth
May 06, 2026
125 years ago — May 1901
The new school house at Chapinville was formally presented to the district by Mr. Robert Scoville in behalf of his mother, Mrs. Frances W. Scoville on Thursday. The new building is a neat wooden structure containing two rooms opening into each other, a teachers’ room and a splendid basement that can be used as a winter play room. All the modern ideas in regard to ventilation, heat and light are incorporated in the building.
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Everett have returned from their wedding tour and are staying in Sharon until their home is ready for them in Millerton.
A.H. Heaton is suffering with a large carbuncle on the side of his neck and is under Dr. Bissell’s care.
Wanted, to employ a person who is accurate at figures for a short time monthly at their home. Address Marcus B. Simpson, Salisbury, Conn.
100 years ago — May 1926
Swat the fly now and save killing a million or two later on.
Some take chances with their lives in drinking bad hooch, some try to beat the train to the crossing, and some do jaywalking. They say there is a fool born every minute but some one must have advanced the time, or stepped on the gas.
Millerton which went on daylight saving time has already tired of the change and most of the business places have returned to standard time.
A woods fire at Twin Lakes last Sunday afternoon threatened to destroy the Barnum, Brandegee and Cady cottages. Several acres were burned over, and one cottage did catch fire but the blaze was quickly extinguished. A large number of men in that section assembled with brooms, shovels, pails, and anything handy for fire fighting, and did some effective work in checking the blaze.
50 years ago — May 1976
The indulgence of using “throw away containers” has been voluntarily discarded by a considerable number of Sharon residents. They have made it a habit to deliver bottles and newspapers to the Sharon Boy Scouts. The Boy Scouts have turned a profit on the arrangement, though not without a great deal of hard work. Myron Allen, Boy Scout Committee Chairman who initiated the recycling project, seemed somewhat relieved this week that this latest enterprise of the Scouts would soon be taken over by the town. The new facility, on Route 41 one-fourth of a mile south of the junction of routes 41 and 112 near Lakeville, is not a dump as such, but rather an area to deposit waste which will then be hauled away by truck. The cost of transporting unusable garbage can be defrayed by the sale of recyclable materials.
The Salisbury Store, a department store under the proprietorship of Bud and Chrys Trotta, will open Monday in the former Shagroy Market space on Main Street in Salisbury village. The Trottas, assisted by their daughter Beth and their daughter-in-law Carol, will offer house and family goods ranging from infants’ clothing to men’s and women’s jeans and sneakers, and from Corning and Pyrex ware to Luminall paints. Other items on the shelves will include Buster Brown clothes for children, school supplies and stationery, toys, jewelry, hardware and tools and small electronic appliances. The store will be open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day except Sunday.
The Canaan Bicentennial Commission has endorsed the idea of a beard-growing contest as part of this summer’s Bicentennial observance. The idea was presented to the commission during last Thursday’s meeting by Richard Brooks of Stadium Systems. The contest will be open to all comers and growers. The town welcomes contestants from neighboring towns who wish to join in the contest. Contestants will march in the gala parade on July 24. Judging will take place after the parade at the block party in the Town Hall parking lot.
CANAAN — Sgt. Ronald G. Greene, son of Francis G. Greene of Canaan, has received the Bronze Star Medal at Yokota Air Base, Japan. Sgt. Greene was cited for meritorious service as a fuel supervisor at U-Tapao Airfield, Thailand. Now assigned at Yokota, he serves with a unit of the Pacific Air Force. He is a 1962 graduate of Housatonic Valley Regional High School in Falls Village.
25 years ago — May 2001
With land management comes compromise, especially when it comes to foresting. The need to harvest timber to meet operating expenses in a working forest can mean putting aside the preferred environmental approach. The ideal is to have another source of income. At Great Mountain Forest in Norfolk, that ideal is about to become reality. Owners are negotiating the terms of a $4.1 million grant that will allow the state Department of Environmental Protection to buy an easement on the state’s largest privately owned forest. What that means, according to Starling Childs, whose grandfather bought the land nearly a century ago, is a long-term working endowment that will ensure that Great Mountain stays just as it is — a working forest dedicated to research and education.
Two Canaan men survived a crash landing at Great Barrington Airport April 28. Ralph Stanton Jr., 51, and Noel Anderson, 59, consider themselves lucky. Despite the fact that the single-engine plane he bought a few days earlier may not be salvageable, Mr. Stanton is grateful that his friend will be OK. Mr. Anderson sustained the only injury between the two, a cracked vertebrae that could keep him out of work for several months. “I think I hurt my pride more,” said Mr. Anderson, who has had his pilot’s license for 30 years. “It’s just one of those things. We don’t know what happened,” Mr. Stanton said.
Colin Gold, a senior at Housatonic Valley Regional High School, has been named an exemplary student and community member by the Governor’s Coalition for Youth with Disabilities. He will receive a plaque and a check for $1,000 from Gov. John Rowland later this month.
These items were taken from The Lakeville Journal archives at Salisbury’s Scoville Memorial Library, keeping the original wording intact as possible.
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Letters to the Editor - May 7, 2026
Lakeville Journal
May 06, 2026
Enjoyed profile of Amenia’s Edgewood
I thoroughly enjoyed your article on Amenia’s late Edgewood Restaurant; especially since it brought back memories of another long-gone venue on the road to Sharon.
It was the Brookside and during the Sharon Playhouse’s annual season it served as sort of a green room for the actors, apprentices and audience members after the Playhouse’ curtain fell.
During those years of the nineteen fifties the Playhouse was staffed by actors who were in repertory. Every week in July and August they appeared all sorts of comedies showing great versatility in the roles they portrayed.
In addition, they gladly interacted with the rest of the Company, including the nightly fun at the Brookside with some getting up on the small Brookside to do a song or two.
In 1960 I worked full-time in the Playhouse’s box office and was warmly welcomed as a member of the “Family.”
Oh, and I often dined at the Edgewood!
BillKnowlton
Liverpool, NY
Education is not a line item to trim
As a taxpayer, a community member, and a product of public schools, I write with concern about the proposed zero-budget by the Board of Finance (BOF) for Sharon Center School. Reducing investment in our schools carries long-term economic costs that far outweigh any short-term savings.
Research consistently shows that every dollar invested in early and primary education yields significant returns — in workforce productivity, reduced reliance on public assistance, and lower rates of incarceration. Further, it has been found that students in better-funded schools earn higher wages, are more likely to graduate high school and attend college, and contribute more in taxes over their lifetimes. Cuts to education don’t eliminate costs — they defer them, often with interest.
At the local level, the stakes are equally clear. Businesses considering where to locate or expand look at the quality of public schools as a key indicator of community health and the future workforce. We risk Sharon being less competitive and less attractive to the kind of investment that sustains property values and local employment.
I understand the need to make difficult fiscal decisions. But treating education as a line item to trim, rather than an infrastructure investment to protect, reflects a short-term view.
It was evident at the BOF hearing on April 28, 2026 that many members are more interested in closing Sharon Center School than in building it to be the best school it can. Public schools are for all children – of all educational abilities. This is how a child learns compassion and how to work with others.
I am a senior. I live on a limited income. Yet, I know the importance of having a school in Sharon. This is not the parents vs. others in Sharon. I applaud Tom Bartram and Jessica Fowler, BOFmembers, who listened to all who presented testimony at the public hearing on April 24th, and believed that Sharon Center School should receive the $41,250from tuition payments – not the Town’s General Fund. The answer from some BOF members was – it’s always been done this way. I say, this is a new day – a new and very competent and committed BOE. All of whom want Sharon Center School to be the best it can be for ALL children. No one should want to always do things as they were done in the past. How can we ever move forward? Can the school live with a no budget increase? Possibly – but not necessarily with some of the cuts.Not something that I want to take a chance. Especially given that the tuition should be in the BOE”s budget.
I hope residents will attend the Sharon Town Meeting on May 8th at 6 pm at Town Hall and vote NO on the budget. Let’s tell the Board of Finance to revise the budget to credit the $41,250 in tuition payments to Sharon Center School and not into the Town’s General Fund. It’s a small gesture, but it speaks volumes about our support for our school.
Marlene Woodman
Sharon
Context for Sharon’s flat education budget
The Sharon Board of Finance would like to provide additional context regarding its recent request that the Sharon Board of Education consider a flat, or zero-increase, budget for the coming fiscal year. We appreciate the strong interest this topic has generated and are encouraged by the thoughtful engagement from members of our community.
A key factor in this discussion is the state’s Minimum Budget Requirement (MBR). In general terms, the MBR requires towns to fund education at least at the prior year’s level, regardless of changes in enrollment. Over time, this has created a structural dynamic for Sharon: as our school-aged population declines, the budget does not automatically adjust downward. As a result, even modest increases can have lasting effects on future required funding levels. School leadership, including Board of Education Chairman (and former Sharon Center School Principal) Dr. O’Reilly and Principal Tomkalski, has indicated publicly that a flat budget would continue to support students’ needs for the upcoming school year.
It is also helpful to distinguish between a budget and actual expenditures. In recent years, the Board of Education has spent less than the full amount appropriated. Based on year-to-date figures as of March 31, 2026, this pattern is continuing. While budgets must appropriately plan for uncertainty, these trends suggest that recent appropriations have provided a margin that has not been fully utilized. Notably, the cumulative surplus from the past two years exceeds the adjustment requested by the Board of Finance for the 2026–27 fiscal year.
At approximately $48,000 per pupil, Sharon’s per-student cost is currently the highest in Connecticut. We recognize that several factors contribute to this figure, including the scale of our school and the range of services we provide. In addition, a prior comparative review of certain non-salary expenditures—such as purchased services and supplies—indicated higher spending levels than a peer school, even after accounting for differences in facility size. We have requested updated information to better understand these differences and to help inform future discussions.
Our request for a flat budget reflects an ongoing effort to balance educational needs with long-term financial sustainability thoughtfully. The Board of Finance, as elected volunteers, is responsible for reviewing both Town and Education budgets, considering near-term priorities alongside future obligations, and being mindful of the diverse financial circumstances of Sharon residents. These responsibilities require us to look carefully at both current conditions and longer-term trends.
We also want to recognize the positive progress within the School. Recent assessments indicate improving academic performance among students, and we appreciate the continued efforts of the Principal, teachers, staff, and the Board of Education in supporting student success and serving the broader community.
At the same time, Sharon—like many communities in our region—faces longer-term challenges related to declining enrollment and the ongoing work of sustaining and strengthening academic outcomes. The level of community engagement in this year’s budget conversation is encouraging, and we hope it can serve as a foundation for continued constructive dialogue.
The Board of Finance remains committed to working collaboratively with the Board of Education in the months ahead to address both current and future needs, with the shared goal of supporting students while maintaining long-term fiscal responsibility for the town.
Sharon Board of Finance
Tom Bartram
Jessica Fowler
John Hecht
Carol Flaton
Michele Pastre
Mary Robertson
Maryanne Toppan
Sharon
Opposition to proposed Sharon Budget
I write to express my opposition to the Sharon Board of Finance’s proposed 2026–2027 budget calling for a zero increase for the Sharon Center School.
I have a long and meaningful connection to the School. I attended Sharon Center School for four years in the 1970s and early 1980s, as did my brother. My parents ultimately transferred me—against my wishes—to Indian Mountain School. In hindsight, that decision did not serve me particularly well and only reinforced what I already believed at the time: Sharon Center School was providing a strong and grounded education that compared favorably with more expensive alternatives.
Sharon has approximately 1,250 tax-paying households. The School’s requested increase—approximately $69,000—would barely move the needle when spread across the town.
It is often said that too much money is being spent on the School. The Town’s financial records show otherwise. For nearly a decade, the School’s budget has stayed in a narrow range of roughly $4.1 to $4.5 million. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2016, the Sharon Center School budget was $4,165,513. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, it was $4,119,978. Adjusted for inflation, that same approximately $4.2 million in 2016 dollars would be roughly $5.8 million today. In real terms, the School is operating with substantially less funding than it did ten years ago, making the claim that too much is being spent difficult to sustain.Over the same period, the Town’s tax base has grown significantly, with total taxable property now exceeding $1 billion. In other words, while the School’s budget has remained flat, the Town’s ability to fund it has increased.The impact is visible. Sharon does not have a dedicated foreign language teacher and offers only limited after-school programming—hardly signs of excess.
The comparison to neighboring towns points in the same direction. Salisbury, which shares the same Region One district, supports its elementary school at roughly $6.9 million annually—substantially higher than Sharon’s approximately $4.1 million. While Salisbury does benefit from a larger tax base, it nevertheless commits a greater share of its resources to its elementary school.
Much has been made of the rising “cost per pupil,” but that figure is a misleading shorthand. When enrollment declines, fixed costs—teachers, facilities, transportation—do not disappear, and the School must still serve every student. For many families, private school tuition is simply not affordable, and relocating to another town is not a realistic option. Even for families with the means, private schools routinely turn away qualified applicants, including those able to pay. Our public school also has a responsibility to welcome and support students with special needs—something that requires resources and continuity of funding.
It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that the Board is taking a philosophical stand rather than responding to a fiscal constraint. If that is the case, it is the wrong place to do it. Our elementary school should not be the vehicle for making a broader point about spending.
At the same time, the proposed budget continues to allocate significant public funds to certain favored institutions, including the Hotchkiss Library (approximately $130,000) and the Sharon Historical Society (approximately $15,000). These are all worthwhile organizations, but they are also able to raise funds privately. My wife and I have been long-standing private donors to these organizations, and we value their work. The School, however, relies almost entirely on public funding to meet its basic operating needs.
It is also worth noting that the School receives approximately $40,000 annually in tuition from non-resident students. If that amount were directed back to the School, it would cover a substantial portion of the requested increase. By contrast, private institutions such as Indian Mountain School do not contribute their tuition revenue to the Town.
This is not simply about dollars and cents. Sharon is, by any reasonable measure, a very affluent community, with many private amenities—such as a very expensive country club—supported entirely by those who choose to use them, not by the Town. In that context, it is difficult to argue that a modest investment in the one institution that must serve all children is out of reach.
I encourage the residents of Sharon to vote down the proposed 2026–2027 budget at the Sharon Town Hall at 6:00 pm on Friday, May 8, 2026 (attendance is required to vote).
Michael Lynch
Sharon
Confronting evil – counterpoint
The Thursday April 23rd edition of The Lakeville Journal included a letter to the editor titled Confronting Evil and justifying our attack on Iran.You can’t argue with the terror it has spread throughout the Middle East and that it has to stop. I take issue with the justification that it was too close to “sprinting towards a bomb.”This is because no part of the knowledge to build an atomic bomb from rocks you mine from the earth that is a secret.It isn’t even necessary to test your bomb design once you have enough U235 – it’s that reliably well understood.So, if we start with a “no bomb” red line in our strategic positioning, we will never succeed unless we kill everyone. Leaders of our government and others would lead us to believe that making an atomic bomb is some kind of mystery and if we just take out a few leaders and destroy some equipment, the job is done.That just isn’t true.
Let’s please ask our leaders to focus instead on what we can control through whatever means we have but excusing our conduct or planning for a “no bomb, no enrichment” outcome is a fool’s errand.
Theodore Rudd O’Neill
Town
Mr. O’Neill was involved in the development of wavefront sensors (a critical technology) for the Star Wars Weapons program and was part of a due diligence team in 1986 that was invited to inspect and bid on the purchase of the U.S. only centrifugal uranium enrichment facility inPiketon, OH.
Secretariat wins …
I enjoyed reading Debra Aleksinas’ account of meeting the amazing Secretariat. Watching him win the Triple Crown was one of the two most impressive sportingevents I have seen.
The second was seeing Bjorn Borg, down two sets and a point or two away from losing to John McEnroe, battle back to win. It took hours, and the focus and determination he showed in addressing one point at a time, and not giving in to defeatism, was one of the greatest displays of will and discipline I have ever seen.
A friend who speaks Arabic fluently recently told me of a tribute to, probably, a long ago superhorse: “The mount whose pace/Made the world seem a smaller place.” I will never forget the stunned silence in the stands as the crowd witnessed Secretariat, half the track ahead, win the Belmont.
Pam Osborne
Salisbury
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As boating season ramps up, lake groups press lawmakers on hydrilla funding, response gaps
Debra A. Aleksinas
May 06, 2026
A sign at O’Hara’s Landing Marina warns about the hydrilla threat as the 2026 boating season ramps up.
Debra A. Aleksinas
SALISBURY — Boat trailers are beginning to line up at launches, docks are going back in, and the Northwest Corner’s lakes are stirring to life for another season. But beneath the surface, a quieter threat remains — one that lake leaders say is far from contained.
That threat is hydrilla, an invasive aquatic plant known for its rapid growth and ability to form thick underwater mats that choke waterways, disrupt ecosystems, and hinder boating, fishing and swimming.
As hydrilla continues to shadow the region’s waters nearly three years after its discovery at East Twin Lake, two local lake associations are pressing lawmakers to act on a pair of measures they say could determine whether the region stays ahead of the plant – or falls behind it.
The Twin Lakes Association (TLA) and the Lake Wononscopomuc Association, which rarely weigh in on legislation, are backing both a federal and state bill aimed at strengthening Connecticut’s ability to fund and respond to aquatic invasive species.
The push reflects lessons learned since June 2023, when the aggressive Connecticut River variant of hydrilla was first identified at East Twin Lake –the first confirmed detection of the invasive plant in a Connecticut lake – triggering an expensive, multi-year containment effort that continues today.
The legislation targets two critical gaps: consistent funding and faster response to new infestations.
“The Twin Lakes Association is not a political body and rarely weighs in on proposed laws,” said TLA President Grant Bogle. “But the Twin Lakes stand to benefit from passage of both bills, which address water quality and funding for removal of harmful plants.”
The federal bill would allow states to collect aquatic invasive species (AIS) fees alongside annual boat registration – a system that ended after a legal challenge. Since then, boaters have had to purchase a separate AIS stamp, a change lake groups say has reduced participation and weakened funding.
Bogle said the current system creates unnecessary friction and the pending boating bill makes sense by bundling fees.
“I am in favor of the state being able to add on a fee whereby boaters are required to pay more money to protect the lakes,” Bogle said. “We don’t invest enough in protecting lake recreation and ecosystems.”
The issue has drawn federal attention.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn) joined environmental advocates to request $5.5 million in federal funding to fight hydrilla in the Connecticut River.
The request, part of a fiscal year 2026 appropriations push, would support research, eradication and long-term management of the invasive species.
Blumenthal has led similar efforts since 2022, urging full federal funding for hydrilla research and testing as the plant’s footprint has expanded.
“It is a creepy, creepy monster of a plant, probably the most invasive aquatic plant in the world, and it has invaded Connecticut,” Blumenthal said. “It is a plague on the Connecticut River and also our lakes and streams.”
For Twin Lakes, those dollars are critical.
The association has received three $75,000 state grants for hydrilla treatment, part of an effort that has already cost hundreds of thousands and pushed its annual budget to about $500,000.
Reintegrating AIS fees into boat registration, advocates say, would simplify the process and provide more reliable, predictable funding for lakes across the state.
The Connecticut Federation of Lakes underscored that point in a recent newsletter:
“Reliable funding is essential if we are going to prevent the spread of invasive species, support early detection, and respond effectively when new infestations are found,” the group wrote.
At the same time, lake groups are backing a state-level proposal aimed at ensuring faster action when new outbreaks occur.
The bill — HB 5525 — would require the development of a “rapid and science-based” response framework to address hydrilla and other invasive aquatic species before they become entrenched.
Advocates say that kind of structure is essential.
Twin Lakes has been relatively fortunate, leaders say, in detecting the plant early and mounting an aggressive response backed by grants and private support. Even so, the battle is expected to continue for years.
“If we don’t do it, the lakes are going to be sitting ducks,” Bogle said.
The concern now is what happens elsewhere. Without a rapid-response system, new hydrilla infestations in lakes may go undetected and spread within and between lakes, often via boats and trailers.
On Lake Wononscopomuc, also known as Lakeville Lake, where no hydrilla has been detected, prevention has already reshaped access.
The lake’s association has closed its boat launch to outside boaters since hydrilla was first discovered at East Twin — a precaution aimed at limiting the risk of introduction from contaminated watercraft.
“The Lake Wononscopomuc Association strongly supports both bills,” said Bill Littauer, the organization’s president. “We have registered our support with the relevant committees and urge our state representatives to support them. We regard the issues as essential to prevent the spread of hydrilla.”
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Kent cites property owner for unpermitted beaver dam removal
Alec Linden
May 06, 2026
A view of the beaver dam above Richards Road, which was destroyed in early April. It was partially rebuilt by May 2.
Alec Linden
“All that stuff is getting washed into the watercourse every time. It’s not good for the watercourse, and it’s not good for the town.” —Tai Kern, Kent Land Use Administrator
KENT – The Northwest Corner’s most industrious rodents are at it again, prompting a South Kent property owner to allegedly take matters into his own – unpermitted – hands by dismantling a dam. Now he’s being asked to come before the town with a permanent, and sanctioned, solution to the ongoing issue of busy beavers.
Under town code, destroying or tampering with beaver dams is a regulated activity and requires the review and approval from the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission. During an IWWC meeting on April 27, Land Use Administrator Tai Kern announced that a landowner in the hills of South Kent, John Riney, had been issued a notice of violation for breaking down a beaver dam above Richards Road in early April, causing significant damage to the gravel roadway.
She noted that the dam, which may have been destroyed by Riney’s land management staff at his 25-acre Flat Rock Road property, had been flooding the waterfront area.
Kern said it was the second time she had been notified of dam destruction at the site since receiving a similar complaint last year.
“This can’t keep happening,” she said. “All that stuff is getting washed into the watercourse every time. It’s not good for the watercourse, and it’s not good for the town.”
She noted that each time the dam, which obstructs a natural outflow from a pond, is breached, the water that had been backed up rushes downstream and overwhelms a culvert that passes below Richards Road. It has caused significant erosion to the roadway, which the town crew has to repair each time.
Kent Highway Foreman Rick Osborne said the dam had been broken and rapidly rebuilt by the beavers several times this spring before Town Hall was notified in April. “Beavers are real handy, working all night,” he said with a chuckle.
Osborne noted that each time the dam is breached and damages the road, it costs the town in labor and materials.
Kern noted that as of the April 27 meeting, beavers had already partially rebuilt the dam.
“They’re going to be back in the same situation in not very long, so something needs to be done,” she said.
Beaver complaints are common in the area, she said, and property owners are left with few solutions for remediation. Connecticut’s beaver trapping season runs from December through March, during which landowners with beaver conflicts may contact a certified professional for removal. Outside that period, those wishing to remove beavers have to apply for a special permit from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Beavers that are trapped are generally killed.
IWWC Chair Lynn Werner stated she’d prefer to see a more humane option. A solution that keeps the animals alive “is more palatable to me,” she said, “and it’s also more permanent.”
Kern referred to the recent installation of a device called a “Beaver Deceiver” at a pond on Camps Road as a potential option for Riney. The contraption transports water at a regular rate through a pipe from one end of the dam to the other, enabling the beaver-built habitat to remain while maintaining stable flows downstream.
Kern said several days after the April 27 meeting that living with beavers is a fact of life in Northwest Connecticut. “There’s nobody to blame but the beavers about this,” she said, “but that is what they do naturally… we just have to learn how to all cohabitate.”
Riney is expected to come before the IWWC at its May 18 meeting with a proposal. He could not be immediately reached for comment.
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Rain doesn’t deter runners from 41st Sharon Classic Road Race
Aly Morrissey
May 06, 2026
Ethan Goldwasser of New York celebrates the start of the Sharon Classic Road Race, May 2.
Aly Morrissey
SHARON – Runners of all ages braved cool temperatures and drizzling rain Saturday, May 2, for the 41st annual Sharon Classic Road Race, a fundraiser that benefits the Sharon Day Care Center.
The 5.3-mile run and walk began and ended at Veterans Field, looping around Mudge Pond and through scenic stretches of Sharon.
The race began almost half a century ago to raise critical funds for the daycare, located on the property of Sharon Center School. The center, which serves infants through age five, has since grown from two to five classrooms with 17 staff. It currently enrolls 60 children.
“It’s a great organization to support,” said race director Stacy Hudson, who has served on the daycare’s board for 18 years and helped organize the race for the past 12 to 15 years.
Hudson said the race draws runners from all over Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts, though many are local and return year after year.
Sharon Day Care Director Carrie-Ann Olsen said the event is family-friendly.
“It’s great when the kids come out and see their teachers here,” she said. “They love seeing us outside of school – it’s like we’re famous.”
Olsen’s seventh grade daughter, who attended Sharon Day Care in 2015, volunteered during the race.
“It’s a full-circle moment,” Olsen said.
The event kicked off with the annual “Kids Fun Run” and “Kids Not Quite a Mile” races for children ages two to seven.
About 120 runners were pre-registered for the race, though 84 placed in the race results, which were professionally chip-timed by Fast Track Timing. Hudson said the weather could have been a deterrent for some.
William Sanders of Marlborough, Conn. was the overall men’s winner with a time of 29:29.12 and a 5:34 pace. Linda Spooner of Sturbridge, Mass. was the overall women’s winner with a time of 35:46.74 and a 6:45 pace.
Among the top finishers was Wolf Donner, a 13-year-old Sharon resident, who placed fourth overall with a time of 33:22.4 and a 6:19 pace. He was the youngest registered runner in the group.
It was Donner’s first time running the Sharon Classic Road Race and his first-ever race outside of cross country meets at Indian Mountain School, where he joined the team this year.
Donner said he began running to improve his squash game, only to discover he is “better at running” than he is at squash. He said he didn’t do anything special to train, but ate a banana that morning and purchased a new pair of blue sneakers that he broke in the week before.
During the race, Donner said he focused on breathing and imagined himself moving backwards through the course.
“I had high hopes for myself,” he said, adding that he exceeded his own expectations after he and his mother looked up race times from previous years.
After Saturday’s finish, Donner said he plans to enter more races.
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