
Cones and a warning sign remain present at Grace Way in North Canaan Saturday, May 17, but as of 3 p.m. the facility was cleared to resume normal operations.
Photo by Riley Klein

Cones and a warning sign remain present at Grace Way in North Canaan Saturday, May 17, but as of 3 p.m. the facility was cleared to resume normal operations.
NORTH CANAAN — Employees at the Becton, Dickinson and Company facility in North Canaan were evacuated Thursday, May 15, after a hazmat scare.
A package that arrived at the facility was identified as suspicious due to an “unusual address,” Ken LeClerc said, emergency response coordinator for DEEP. Details of the contents of the package have not been released.
Emergency authorities were notified of a potential hazmat incident and several agencies responded, including the FBI, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, state police, area fire departments and ambulances.

The facility was locked down and about 300 employees entered decontamination protocol, requiring them to leave clothing behind and shower before going home.
LeClerc said Thursday, “The package was opened inside the building and what we’re looking at is primarily a potential airborne contaminant.”
“At this time, two individuals have been transported to a nearby hospital as a precaution,” a release from DEEP said Thursday afternoon. “Approximately 300 to 350 personnel at the facility are undergoing a decontamination process as a precautionary measure. DEEP has deployed a contractor to the site to manage the decontamination operation, including shower trailers and the safe collection for clothing for those exiting the facility.”
The FBI transported the package from BD to the state laboratory in Rocky Hill.

Friday, May 16, North Canaan First Selectman Brian Ohler released an update stating the CT Department of Public Health “received negative PCR test results for Anthrax, Burkholderia Species, Plague, Tularemia, and Smallpox. In addition to those biological tests, a negative Ricin test result was also confirmed. A Day 1 culture test was then performed, which has also resulted in ‘no growth.’”
Ohler added, “While we are still waiting for an exact identity of the substance, we are being told by state DEEP officials that there is no threat to the public, or to the surrounding area near the facility.” Additional lab results were released on Saturday, which confirmed no culture growth on the sample.
The health department cleared BD to reopen its facility and operations resumed at the medical manufacturing company Sunday.
Details of the FBI investigation have been limited. The agency confirmed that reopening the facility will not interfere with the investigation.
Students of Salisbury Central School watch ski jumpers soar during an assembly with Salisbury Winter Sports Association Wednesday, Dec. 17.
SALISBURY — Representatives of Salisbury Winter Sports Association gave a presentation at Salisbury Central School Wednesday, Dec. 17.
Former U.S. Olympic coach Larry Stone explained the fundamentals of the unique sport of ski jumping and its long history in Salisbury, where he learned to jump.
“When I was growing up here there were actually eight ski jumps just in this town in addition to the three down at Satre Hill,” he said. He noted that this winter will be the 100th year of Jumpfest at Satre Hill, named for the Satre brothers who moved from Norway in the 1920s. “They brought their sport with them and the first ski jump was actually when one of the Satres skied off of a barn roof in the center of Salisbury to show people how to do it.”
Mentioning the upcoming Winter Olympics in Cortina/Milan, Italy, Stone spoke of legendary Salisbury ski jumper Roy Sherwood who competed at Cortina in the 1956 Olympics.

Students at SCS saw videos of ski jumpers training and competing. Stone invited up students who had jumped at Satre Hill and 14 stepped forward.
One student was Aerin Sheil, who was asked what it feels like to jump: “It kind of feels like you’re flying. It’s a really good feeling.”
Gus Tripler, another student, said, “It’s like you’re suspended in the air and can see everything.”
He said his record distance of 18 meters was set in Vermont.
The student remarks gave way to closing comments that emphasized the school’s partnership with the Salisbury Winter Sports Association.
“Our partnership with SWSA is one of the most incredible things about Salisbury Central School,” Principal John Conklin said as he closed the assembly. He encouraged the students to attend Jumpfest Feb. 6 to 8.

The Community Closet at HVRHS is open for students to take clothes for any reason during the school day.
What started with one unexpected donation of clothes has grown into a quietly impactful resource for all students at HVRHS: the Community Closet. Now located in a spacious area above the cafeteria, the closet offers free clothing to any student for any reason.
The idea began a few years ago when a community member reached out to the former superintendent wondering if anyone at the school could benefit from used clothing that would otherwise go to waste. The superintendent then got in contact with Rachel Novak, the school social worker. “Once I had all those bags of clothes in my room, I was like, ‘I should put this in a space,’” Novak said. Her simple idea eventually became a full-sized closet accessible to all students.
From the beginning, Novak envisioned the closet as an inclusive space. “It’s open to anybody, it’s not just based on economic needs,” she said. Sustainability also plays a role. “Thinking about the environment, some students like to thrift and just get clothes that way,” Novak said.
After the initial donation, contributions continued to grow. “I reached out to our staff members and faculty,” Novak said. The most consistent donations come from the faculty at HVRHS and a few community members who learned about the closet. Finding teenage-appropriate clothes has been a challenge. “I get a lot of donations that are nice, but I don’t think teenagers would want to wear them,” Novak said.
Another ongoing obstacle has been awareness. Many students don’t know the closet exists at all. “That’s been the hard part,” Novak said. “Getting it out to the wider community of the school.” Novak is looking for students and staff to spread the word. “It helps because our school nurse knows and other faculty members,” she said. “When they know a student needs something, they just bring them up.”
Looking ahead, she hopes to promote the space more actively. “When we come back from this break, I do plan to … get fliers and all that up and going,” Novak said. There may even be an upcoming expansion — she has discussed the possibility of turning part of the area into a food pantry. “That would be more of a need-based system for students,” she said. “But right now, promoting it is where I’m at.”
The Community Closet is well-stocked currently. “Just because of the amount of clothes I have, I’m not accepting any more donations until I clear some stuff out,” Novak said. She is still willing to make room for more fashionable, teen-friendly items donated by students. “That way I’ll have more teenager approved clothes.”
Above all, she wants students to know that no one is limited to using the space. “Sometimes there’s a stigma around it … like, ‘I don’t need help. I don’t want to take away from anybody else that may need it,’” Novak said. Due to the amount of clothes, students should feel welcome to use the closet for any reason. Some students even grab items last minute for sports and activities. “It’s important for kids to know it’s for everyone.”
Whether a student wants to thrift clothes sustainably, forgot to pack clothes for an after-school practice, or is in need of a new outfit, the Community Closet is a resource for all.
Sophomore Eliana Lang enjoys her Housy Shack cookie.
Now in its second year, the Housy Shack is a hit among students. The special education department-run store that sells warm cookies, drinks and other snacks to students and teachers draws people to a room in the back hallway every time it’s open.
The smell of warm cookies welcomes visitors to the store with snacks, drinks and even Housy merchandise for sale. The cookies are definitely the favorite, sometimes lines go out the door to get one before they sell out.
The cookies are so popular that the store had to increase prices from 50 cents to a dollar and implement a four cookie per person maximum. The Shack sells about 40-100 cookies per day and has about 20-60 HVRHS customers visiting per day.
Julie Browning and Heather Strid, two of the HVRHS faculty members that help run the Shack, said their goal was to create real-world job experiences as well as real-world shopping experiences for students at HVRHS. “Learning the skills to work in the world can be taught in a classroom, but the lessons are more meaningful and valuable when they are applied in real work situations, which is what we create through the school store,” Browning said.
The original purpose for the store seems to be working, as several students are learning important skills. Students said the store taught them skills like counting money, checking inventory and cleanliness along with social skills and customer service that could help in the professional world after high school.

As the store quickly became a hit, organizers were faced with the challenge of finding funding. “When we started planning to start the school store two years ago we needed money to buy equipment, supplies and food to start it up but were not sure how to get it,” Browning said. “Mrs. Strid came up with the idea of applying for a grant from the 21st Century Fund to help us get started and they were so generous.” That grant has been crucial to the success and growth of the school store.
Not only does the Housy Shack benefit the special education department, students said it fosters a sense of community throughout the school. “School store cookies are my favorite thing ever. They brighten up my day,” said Eliana Lang, a sophomore at HVRHS. Dayana, one of the student staffers at the Housy Shack, said her favorite part of working in the school store is when students come in to make purchases. She enjoys talking to them and ringing up their orders on the cash register. The Housy Shack brings people together and offers the opportunity for students to connect with each other.
As the school year continues, the members of the school store look forward to expanding their inventory by creating and selling a variety of Housy merchandise — t-shirts, sweatshirts, water bottles, and more. “I have had several students put in requests for certain hats, key chains, etc. … so there will be more of that to come,” Browning said. Last school year, profits were all invested back into the school store. “This year we are hoping to make more of a profit and will look to use the money that we make for field trips, outings as well as opportunities to donate and give back to the community,” Browning said. They also would like to use the school store to fundraise for other causes. “Right now we are collecting donations for The Little Guild Animal Shelter, so if anyone has pet supplies they would like to donate please drop them off in exchange for a cookie,” Browning said.