Board of Ed votes to sue town over budget

WINSTED — At a special meeting on Tuesday, April 19, the Board of Education voted to pursue legal action against the town for cutting $2,820,561 from the school budget.The cut was made by the Board of Selectmen during a budget hearing on April 13.“The purpose of the legal action is to enforce the minimum budget requirement [MBR],” Board of Education Chairman Kathleen O’Brien said in an interview after the meeting. “The Board of Selectmen has created a budget that is grossly below what we believe will be the MBR for next year. That’s the basis of the lawsuit. We will pursue the legal action until the budget is decided.”O’Brien said the budget as proposed by the selectmen would take the school district $1.7 million dollars below its current level of funding.“We still have not determined whether or not to sue just the town or sue individual members of the Board of Selectmen also,” O’Brien said. “Our goal is to get adequate funding for the education system in Winchester in order for our children to compete with their peers around the state. “The budget, as it currently stands, has the potential to cut 43 teaching positions from the school system. Since we have currently 71 teaching positions, that’s kind of severe. Our argument is that the MBR has not been set by the state, but it soon will be.”O’Brien added that any legal action the Board of Education pursues will be funded by a line item in this fiscal year’s and next fiscal year’s budget for legal fees.She added that the board would announce further details of their legal action next week.

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Gilbert Kenneth Schoonmaker

WINSTED — Gilbert Kenneth Schoonmaker, of Monroe, Connecticut, passed away peacefully on July 24, 2025, at the age of 77. Born on Jan. 18, 1948, in Winsted, Connecticut to Gilbert and Alta (Bierce) Schoonmaker, Gil spent four decades enjoying life on Highland Lake before settling in Monroe.

He is lovingly survived by his wife of 56 years, Sally (Gustafson) Schoonmaker, and his two daughters, Lynn Sindland and her husband Lee of Lead Hill, Arkansas, and Deb Pikiell and her husband Tim of Bristol, Connecticut. Gil was a proud grandfather to Ozzie, Tommy, Betsy, Katie, George, Lucy, Maddie, Joey, and Julia, and he cherished his time with his eight great-grandchildren. Gilbert leaves behind his siblings Ann, Gary, Gail, Jan, and Tim.

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Books and bites beckon at the upcoming Sharon Summer Book Signing

Author and cartoonist Peter Steiner signed books at Sharon Summer Book Signing last summer.

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The 27th annual Sharon Summer Book Signing at the Hotchkiss Library of Sharon will be held Friday, Aug. 1, from 4:45 to 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Aug. 3, at noon.

Friday’s festivities will honor libraries and the power of the written word. In attendance will be 29 locally and nationally recognized authors whose books will be for sale. With a wide array of genres including historical fiction, satire, thrillers, young adult and non-fiction, there will be something for every reader.

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Voices from Ukraine to America come to Stissing Center July 27

Ukraine Emergency Fundraiser at The Stissing Center in 2022 raised over $120,000 for Sunflower of Peace.

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“Words to America from Ukraine” aims to remind and spread awareness for the suffering that often gets forgotten by those who live in comfortable worlds, explained Leevi Ernits, an organizer for the event. “We are trying to make an attempt to remind people that we are human, and we are connected with human values,” she said. “With very few words, poetry can express very deep values.”

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Celebrating its 45th year, the Grumbling Gryphons will perform at HVRHS Friday, Aug. 1, at 7 p.m.

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The Grumbling Gryphons Traveling Children’s Theater is preparing to celebrate its 45th year — not with fanfare, but with feathers, fabric, myth, chant, and a gala finale bursting with young performers and seasoned artists alike.

The Gryphons’ 2025 Summer Theater Arts Camp begins July 28 and culminates in a one-night-only performance gala at Housatonic Valley Regional High School on Friday, Aug. 1 at 7 p.m. Founder, playwright, and artistic director, Leslie Elias has been weaving together the worlds of myth, movement and theater for decades.

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