Elyse Deublein Harney (center) celebrates with Keith Harney, Elyse Harney Morris, Paul Harney and Michael Harney after receiving an honorary doctorate from St. Joseph’s University.
On May 19, Elyse Deublein Harney returned to St. Joseph’s University in New York City, her alma mater, where she graduated in 1952. Before the crowd gathered for the university’s 107th commencement ceremony, the Salisbury resident, entrepreneur and community leader received an honorary doctorate and delivered the commencement address to the Class of 2026.
The recognition arrives at a meaningful moment for the Harney family. In February 2027, Elyse Harney Real Estate will celebrate its 40th anniversary, joining Harney & Sons Fine Teas, co-founded by Elyse and her husband, John, in 1983, as one of two enduring family businesses that have shaped both the region and the family’s legacy.
At a moment when many people are expected to reflect on their accomplishments, Harney used her commencement address to talk instead about possibility.
“God has a job for you,” she told the graduates. “Something that you alone can do.”
That line may very well be the organizing principle of a life that has included hotel management, raising five children, launching two businesses, serving on local boards, helping found the Salisbury Volunteer Ambulance Service and, somehow, still finding time to reopen conversations about preserving historic institutions.
One of the most striking parts of Harney’s address centered on beginning again.
When she and her husband were 50 years old, the partners of the White Hart Inn in Salisbury, where John was general manager for many years, decided to sell. Suddenly, the couple needed a new source of income.
John launched what would become Harney & Sons Fine Teas, and Elyse opened a real estate office across the street.
“Simple as that, I did,” she told graduates with characteristic understatement.
Of course, anyone familiar with the growth of Elyse Harney Real Estate knows there was nothing simple about it. What began as a small local office became one of the most respected real estate firms in the region, helping define the market across northwestern Connecticut, the Hudson Valley and the Berkshires.
Her commencement address wandered delightfully through subjects that rarely appear together: Nobel Prize-winning genetic research, French entrepreneurs, Catholic education, self-driving cars, German teachers and divine purpose.
At one point, Harney reflected on the women who educated her at St. Joseph’s.
“They made it very clear we could do whatever we wanted to do, if we were willing to work for it,” she said. “Being a woman was not a handicap.”
For graduates entering a world transformed by artificial intelligence, political upheaval and economic uncertainty, Harney offered neither nostalgia nor easy reassurance.
“AI is here,” she said. “We have to learn to use it and to control it.”
After discussing technology, entrepreneurship and faith, Harney turned to the subject of consciousness. Quoting author Michael Pollan, she shared the final lines from his new book, “A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness,” that she said had stayed with her:
“Consciousness is a miracle, truly. It is the most mysterious of things, and yet it can be put in one short sentence: I open my eyes and I see the world.”
Then she offered her final message to the graduates.
“Open your eyes and see the world.”
At 95, Elyse Harney is still opening her eyes and seeing the world. Thankfully, she’s still telling the rest of us what she finds there.
Phoebe Tobin
Le Bar, adjacent to Le Gamin in Sharon, has reopened for the season with a new menu, new bartender and plans to remain open year-round.
SHARON — Le Bar, the space next door that is part of Le Gamin, has reopened for the summer with a new menu, a new bartender and plans to become a year-round destination for drinks, good food and community events.
The bar first opened last summer as a seasonal extension of Le Gamin before closing for the winter. This year, owner Robert Arbor decided to bring it back with a more permanent approach, adding a new, and locally famous bartender, a different menu and a space that stands apart from the French café next door.
“We opened the bar last year just for the summer and closed it in the winter,” Arbor said. “This year we will run the restaurant from the bar all winter because it’s much cozier, warmer.”
The idea of Le Bar, although connected to Le Gamin, was to offer something different, a different vibe, to the community of Sharon and beyond. While the restaurant offers the experience of a classic French café, with crepes and quiche, the bar creates a darker, more intimate feel, with seating at the bar and tables throughout the smaller space.
The menu also separates the two spaces. Le Bar offers a slightly more American-style menu, featuring items like burgers and chicken sandwiches.
These changes and revamping were made possible by bartender Ryan Andrade, who previously worked at the White Hart Inn in Salisbury, garnering a local reputation as a talented bartender and, in 2021, was the Connecticut Restaurant Association Bartender of the Year Finalist. Arbor gave Andrade the freedom to shape the bar’s menu and overall feel.
“Those are all my own recipes, and I curated the food menu,” Andrade said. “The cocktails are my babies so it’s kind of hard to pick a favorite”
In the future, Ryan is looking to establish Le Bar as a gathering place. Recently, it has been hosting world cup watch parties and dance nights, including a U.S. match that packed the space from wall to wall.
Andrade hopes Le Bar brings a different energy to Sharon, describing the goal as bringing “kind of a Brooklyn side to Sharon” while cultivating a speakeasy atmosphere.
As Le Bar embarks on its first full year, Arbor and Andrade are looking forward to creating a regular destination for Sharon and Connecticut residents to gather.
John Coston
Accepting New Patients” reads a banner in front of the Community Health and Wellness Center in North Canaan, now two years old. The facility continues to expand medical and health offerings.
NORTH CANAAN — The federally supported healthcare safety net in the Northwest Corner that offers sliding-scale payments continues to expand its reach in the community.
The Community Health and Wellness Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), reported 36,235 visits in 2025, up from 33,750 in the previous year.
CHWC, which has medical office facilities in Torrington, Winsted and one in North Canaan that opened in the spring of 2024, reported that 65% of patients served last year were living at or below the poverty level.
In 2025, the organization served a total of 7,212 patients, compared to 6,746 the year before.
“We offer primary care, dental, behavioral health and much more,” said Joanne Borduas, chief executive officer. “We provide a local comprehensive medical infrastructure.”
The Northwest Corner continues to experience a shortage of primary-care doctors, compounded by the fact that some physicians no longer accept new patients, and others have long lead times for an appointment to see a doctor. FQHCs receive enhanced Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement and serve medically underserved areas.
In addition to primary care, CHWC has a long list of medical services that include women’s health, pediatrics, telemedicine, behavioral health, dental, pharmacy, home visits and others, as well as providing transportation for those in need and even a food pantry. The agency operates in 24 towns in the Northwest Corner and in seven Torrington schools, three Region One schools and has a mobile health clinic.
Though CHWC accepts insured and uninsured patients, Medicaid recipients, comprising low-income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults, and people with disabilities, made up 48% of CHWC’s patient base last year.
The organization has struggled to get reimbursement from the state for its Medicaid expenses. It also has faced the threat of Medicaid cutbacks from Washington and disputes with Connecticut’s Department of Social Service to make the state’s 17 Federally Qualified Health Care Centers whole with respect to their Medicaid costs. Last July, after lengthy negotiations, an agreement was reached to increase reimbursements over three years that will bring reimbursements to 2023 levels.
In May, CHWC announced a fundraising campaign in anticipation of federal Medicaid cuts.
Debra A. Aleksinas
Woldemar Neufeld’s Cascade Bridge in Kent is among the watercolor and ink paintings featured in the Bridges Across the Housatonic exhibition opening July 17 in West Cornwall.
WEST CORNWALL — Fifty years after artist Woldemar Neufeld completed one of the most ambitious artistic tributes ever devoted to the Housatonic River, a selection of his celebrated paintings will return to public view this summer, offering visitors a rare glimpse into the river’s history and the enduring landmarks that have long connected communities throughout the valley.
The exhibition, called “Bridges Across the Housatonic,” will open July 17 at the Housatonic River Commission and Cornwall Conservation Trust offices, located at 7 Railroad St. It will feature 10 original watercolor and ink paintings depicting bridges along the federally designated Wild & Scenic stretch of the Housatonic River in Northwest Connecticut.
The works, which mark the first public display of the collection since 2004, are part of the artist’s personal mission to document every bridge crossing the 149-mile Housatonic River. Beginning in 1974, Neufeld and his wife spent three years painting 65 automobile bridges and two pedestrian bridges stretching from the river’s headwaters in Massachusetts to Long Island Sound.
The resulting collection became both an artistic achievement and an important historical record, preserving scenes that in many cases have since changed dramatically through infrastructure improvements, environmental restoration and shifting patterns of land use.
Neufeld’s paintings capture not only the bridges themselves, but also the everyday relationship between people and the river — fishermen casting from its banks, farmers working nearby fields and travelers crossing structures that became familiar landmarks in communities from the Berkshires to Long Island Sound.
Today, many of the bridges depicted in Neufeld’s paintings remain cherished landmarks, while others have disappeared or evolved with the passage of time.
Presented by the Cornwall-based Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) in partnership with the Housatonic River Commission and Cornwall Conservation Trust, the exhibition also includes original sketches, reference photographs Neufeld took while creating the series in the 1970s, and contemporary photographs showing how many of the same locations have changed — or remarkably remained the same — over the past half century.
The public is invited to an opening reception on Friday, July 17, from 3 to 5 p.m.
About Neufeld’s works
Born in 1909, Neufeld established a national reputation as a painter, printmaker and sculptor whose work is held in collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Library of Congress, the New Britain Museum of American Art and Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital.
“Neufeld was a realistic and sensitive portrayer of the connections between the built environment and the natural world,” said Tim Abbott, executive director of the Housatonic Valley Association.
“He understood that even mundane structures with a functional purpose like highway bridges had a form and elegance that not only help convey us over the river but become part of how we experience the landscape.”
Continued stewardship
The exhibition also celebrates the ongoing stewardship of the Housatonic River.
In 2023, a 41-mile stretch of the river through Northwest Connecticut received federal designation as part of the National Park Service’s Wild & Scenic Rivers Program, recognizing its exceptional scenic, ecological and recreational value.
Both HVA and the Housatonic River Commission played key roles in securing that designation and continue working alongside local conservation partners to protect water quality, wildlife habitat and public access throughout the watershed.
For residents who have seen renewed conservation efforts focus on the Housatonic River, including a $1.5 million state grant announced recently to keep a 245-acre parcel from development, the exhibition offers a look at its past and a reminder of why protecting its future remains a priority.
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Annie Prinz
Sarah March stands outside March Esthetics, Home + Body at 19 Main St. in Salisbury, where she plans a soft retail opening July 24.
SALISBURY — Years before Sarah March opened her first spa in Seattle, a facial she received as a teenager in Salisbury showed her how restorative an hour of personal care could be.
“It was the most comforting, transformative time,” March said.
That experience stuck with her as she moved across the country and eventually built a career as an esthetician. Now, the Falls Village native is returning to the Northwest Corner to create that experience for others through March Esthetics, Home + Body, a new retail and skin-care business on 19 Main St.
March plans to hold a soft retail opening on Friday, July 24, followed by a larger opening in August. Facials and other esthetic services are expected to begin later once plumbing work and required inspections are complete.
A Falls Village native and Housatonic Valley Regional High School graduate, March left the area and has lived out West for more than 20 years. She went to school for esthetics, eventually settling in Seattle, where she opened Sweet Haven Spa in 2017.
March continues to travel between Connecticut and Washington, but eventually plans to leave the Seattle business to focus fully on the Salisbury location. Her decision to return was motivated in part by a desire to live closer to her parents and become more connected to a smaller community.
“Every time I came home, I was like, ‘I do love this,’” March said. “I want to have a garden. I want to be close to my parents and be in a smaller community. There’s a lot more connection here.”
March had initially assumed she wouldn’t find a storefront available in Salisbury. After considering locations in North Canaan and Falls Village, a friend happened to connect her with a local Sotheby’s real estate agent. March described the timing as “kismet.”
Situated next to Sweet Williams Coffee Shop & Bakery in the space formerly occupied by Rosemary Rose Finery, the location’s walkability was part of its appeal. March hopes that people visiting Salisbury’s cafés, restaurants and other businesses will discover the shop as they move through town.
The Salisbury business will draw from March’s experience running Sweet Haven Spa, but it will not be an exact copy. While the Seattle business was initially built around lash and brow enhancement and body sugaring, the new location will place greater emphasis on retail, facials, and brow and sugaring services by request.
March has curated the retail selection around the routines people incorporate into their days, including morning, bathing, and sleep rituals. The store will carry skin and body care products alongside items such as bamboo pillowcases, sleep masks, teas, and chocolates.
The goal, March said, is not to carry the widest possible assortment, but to offer carefully selected products associated with comfort and everyday care.
“I curated the shop around the idea of what we ritualize in our day,” she said.
Éminence Organic Skin Care, a Hungarian skin-care company whose products March has used throughout her career, will be the shop’s primary skin-care brand. She is also seeking products from smaller companies that are environmentally conscious, women-owned, or give back to their communities. She plans to rotate seasonal products into the store while continuing to carry the products customers respond to most enthusiastically.
The esthetics menu is still being finalized but is expected to include a signature facial and custom facials tailored to each client’s specific skin-care goals. She also plans to offer sugaring, a gentle hair removal method that uses a paste made from sugar, water, and lemon juice. Some services she plans to offer, such as brow and lash lifts and tints, are pending confirmation of licensing requirements in Connecticut and may not be immediately available.
The July soft opening will allow March to introduce the retail store, see which products interest local shoppers, and make adjustments before the larger opening. She expects the store to operate Thursday through Sunday at first, although the hours remain tentative and may expand based on demand. Once services begin, appointments will be booked online through Square. She also hopes to hire and train another employee as soon as possible.
More than any particular product or service, March said she wants the business to offer customers a space to step away from the demands of their day. After leaving the store, she hopes clients will feel relaxed and pampered and see a noticeable change in their skin.
“I want them to feel like they’re coming in and getting something out of this. Be it relaxation, be it skin care, be it just an hour and a half away from their day, they can take a break,” March said. “It’s wonderful.”
Lakeville Journal
This Week
In small communities like ours, volunteers make up so much of our foundation. From fire departments and EMS, to food pantries, animal shelters and town events.
What organizations do you volunteer for and why?
Send your responses to social@lakevillejournal.com by Monday, July 20 at 10 a.m. or comment on Facebook or Instagram.
We’ll publish a selection in next week’s paper.
Last Week’s Question
Who are the unsung heroes helping our community recover? Whether it’s a neighbor, utility worker, volunteer, first responder, road crew, or local business, give them a shoutout and tell us why they deserve the recognition.
“We are so grateful to the numerous crews who came from afar to pitch in and get Salisbury back on its feet! Everyone was so courteous and helpful, there was a real sense of us being buoyed up by a wider community.”
— Montage Antiques, Millerton
“Shout out to Cole Leibrock Tree Service!A tree fell on our house during the storm. I called Cole the next morning and was pleasantly surprised when he not only picked up the phone call right away, but came immediately to inspect the situation. He was there the next day with his crew removing the tree from our house.”
— Eric and Donna Stoetzner, Salisbury
“Jay Savage who works at the White Hart stayed and helped take care of dozens of alarmed and bewildered guests after the storm devastated the town leaving the inn without power. He remains unsung and unacknowledged but helped many people that night.”
— Andres Vialpando, Millerton
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