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Wesley Allyn, above, of North Canaan, is the latest scout from Troop 22 to attain the rank of Eagle Scout.Allyn passed his Scout Board of Review on Dec. 26 and his Court of Honor was held at VFW Couch Pipa Post 6851 on Feb. 23.Last year Allyn designed and built a storage shed for the North Canaan Recreation Commission. This shed will be used to store equipment at Sam Eddy Field behind North Canaan Elementary School. Allyn is the son of Brian and Tracy Allyn.
NORTH CANAAN — Noting that Town Clerk Jean Jacquier has been absent for the last month, on March 3 the Board of Selectmen named Paul Mattingly — who serves as executive assistant to the selectmen — assistant town clerk until the next election.
Jacquier claims she is the target of antagonism and harassment at Town Hall, which is taking a toll on her health.
Controversy in the clerk’s office has been ongoing since last year when First Selectman Brian Ohler filed a complaint with the state Attorney General’s office accusing Jacquier of misconduct in carrying out the duties of the office.
Jacquier, who was elected in 2017, and served as assistant town clerk since 1993, denied most of the allegations and has filed suit against the Town of North Canaan to recoup $15,000 in legal fees she’s spent defending herself.
In October 2024, the Attorney General’s office ruled it had found three violations, strongly suggesting some changes be made to Jacquier’s existing practices but declined to take any further action.
Ohler accused her of, among other charges, not securing the vault in her office, improperly posting campaign material, untimely stamping and inappropriate shredding of documents.
Jacquier acknowledged she shouldn’t have put up a candidate’s solicitation in Town Hall.
Although the investigation found “improper security of the vault outside of the Town Clerk’s hours of operation,” Jacquier maintained she’s never left her office unattended, explaining the probate judge’s office also uses that vault and others had access to the office.
She also said Ohler signed off on her request to shred the papers. The Attorney General’s office responded that the shredding had destruction dates and it would take no stand on that issue.
Jeffrey Mirman, the lawyer representing Jacquier, said the response from the Attorney General’s office showed it found no sufficient evidence to hold a trial to see about removing her from office, nor was she asked to be disciplined in any way.
In November, the town filed a motion to strike Jacquier’s suit for legal fee reimbursement, claiming “the Defendant (North Canaan) owes no duty to indemnify and/or reimburse the Plaintiff (Jacquier) pursuant to 7 101a(b).”
On Jan. 28, Hon. Walter Menjivar at Torrington Superior Court granted the town’s motion to strike.
Ohler said after that ruling, Jacquier stopped coming to work. He said she continued to receive her salary, “over $6,000” in her absence.
Assistant Town Clerk Marilisa Camardi has been filling in two days a week — she is limited in the hours she can serve — but was away the past week.
“This proposes significant problems for continuity of services,” said Ohler.
Mattingly was sworn in and began fulfilling the responsibilities of the town clerk’s office on March 4. The appointment was made under Connecticut General Statute 7-20, which enables the Board of Selectmen to install an assistant town clerk. Mattingly and Camardi will work together to fulfill the assistant town clerk’s role, Ohler said.
This week Jacquier, who said she was an avid supporter of Ohler when he ran for office, disputed that she lost the case, saying the settlement request was entered too early. “It’s not like I lost in court. It can be refiled.” She said the judge urged the parties to come to an agreement. She also took exception to the figure Ohler put forth as the salary she received last month, saying it’s much lower.
In February, Jacquier filed a motion to extend her case for legal fee reimbursement. The filing states, “The Plaintiff requires additional time to amend the allegations of the complaint to conform with the Court’s Order.” On March 6, Judge Menjivar granted the extension.
Jacquier, shaken by the circumstances, explained the reason for her absence. She claims the atmosphere at Town Hall is toxic and that she has been unduly harassed by entrenched employees. She said she has been verbally abused for the past year. She added that it has been an honor to serve the people of North Canaan for the past 31 years.
In a letter dated March 3, Ohler wrote to Jacquier following up on an email he sent to her on Feb. 6 asking about her welfare. He said he hasn’t heard from her and asked she contact him. He wrote, “Unless there is a substantial and lawful justification for your ongoing absence and for your refusal and/or failure to perform your office’s statutory duties, please be advised that the town’s Board of Selectmen reserves the right to vote on a motion to suspend your salary until you return to work.”
An executive session of the Board of Selectmen was scheduled for March 11 to discuss Jacquier’s salary.
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Four Cornwall students, Skylar Brown, Izabella Coppola, Halley Villa and Willa Lesch, shared their goal with Selectmen Jen Markow, Gordon Ridgway and Rocco Botto at the regular meeting March 4.
Jane Hall
CORNWALL — The story of Naomi Cain Freeman will continue to be told for generations to come thanks to the work of Cornwall Consolidated School’s seventh grade girls.
Four of the students, Skylar Brown, Izabella Coppola, Halley Villa and Willa Lesch, attended the Board of Selectmen meeting March 4 with a request to rename a section of Great Hollow Road in honor of the historic figure. This suggestion was inspired by research into significant women in Cornwall’s history.
According to Cornwall Historical Society records, Naomi was born in 1794 and was adopted by General John Sedgwick and his wife Abigail, of Cornwall, in 1801. This act protected her from slavery, which was still legal in Connecticut at the time.
Sedgwick included Naomi in his will and she received a dowry after his death in 1820.
Naomi Freeman’s deed for “one acre of land with a dwelling House thereon,” Aug. 27, 1828.Courtesy of the Town of Cornwall
Naomi later married Obadiah “Obed” Freeman, a man who had been enslaved in Cornwall. She purchased an acre of land in Cornwall, becoming the town’s first Black woman to own land, and the two settled on Great Hollow Road in 1828.
Nearly 200 years later, the road itself may commemorate her legacy.
The selectmen were receptive to the students’ suggestion and agreed to help establish a memorial street name.
“We could name a section on an honorary basis in view of this extraordinary effort and extraordinary story,” said First Selectman Gordon Ridgway. “I commend the seventh graders.”
The students hope to achieve their goal within the month of March. An update is expected at the next selectmen’s meeting Tuesday, March 18.
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January real estate sales in Kent
Mar 12, 2025
Built in 1988, 16 Landmark Lane is a commercial building with 5,346 square feet of usable space sold for $425,000 to Kent Housing Development Associates in January.
Christine Bates
In January Kent’s Town Clerk recorded six transfers of property all under one million dollars including four single family homes ranging from $200,000 to $998,000.Kent’s 12-month median home price stood at $467,500 at the end of January.
Real estate listed for sale on Smart MLS as of March 6 included eight single family homes with seven asking over one million dollars. Four parcels of land remain for sale.
Transactions
148 Camps Flat Road in South Kent — 3 bedroom/3 bath home built in 1800 sold by Gregory and Judith Sheridan to John Merz and Tara Anderson for $998,000.
389 Kent Cornwall Road — 3 bedroom/2.5 bath home sold by Stanley W. and Jerri T. Drazkiewicz to Stacey Ledovsky for $475,000.
216 Bulls Bridge Road — 8-plus acres of vacant land sold by Betsey N. and Roland O. Levesque Jr. to Paula Levesque for $200,000.
16 Landmark Lane — commercial building with 5,346 square feet of usable space sold by Building 15 LLC to Kent Housing Development Associates LLC for $425,000.
9 Segar Mountain Road — a small 2 bedroom/1 bath house on 0.3 acres sold by Jeffrey C. and Nicole Alessandra Mitchell to Mildred L. Olson and Andrew Donzella for $325,000.
26 South Main — 3 bedroom/1 bath house built in 1879 sold by Caralee Rochovansky Trustee for Caralee Rochovanski Revocable Trust to 26 SMS LLC for $290,000.
*Town of Kent real estate transfers recorded as sold between Jan. 1and Jan. 31, 2025, provided by the Kent Town Clerk. Transfers without consideration are not included. Current market listings from Smart MLS. Compiled by Christine Bates, Real Estate Salesperson with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, Licensed in Connecticut and New York.
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