Chris Little and his pristine 1969 Dodge A12 Super Bee. Vroom — vintage cars that are all muscle

LIME ROCK — Chris Little has loved cars since childhood. “I started with Matchbox cars. Then I built plastic models. By middle school I was building remote-controlled models.”After a stint selling Acuras following graduation from Bates College in Maine in 2002, the New York City and Salisbury resident has been driving along the road that leads to his own bliss. His new Northwest Corner Classic cars, at 483 Lime Rock Road (the former Paradise Garage), specializes in what many connoisseurs consider to be the flower of American automaking: muscle cars with throaty engines and unabashedly masculine designs.Some classic muscle cars — the ones that are in absolutely mint condition — cost a small fortune, defined by Little as “well north of $100,000.”But others are $20,000 or less — not an insignificant amount, but inexpensive enough to get started.He fairly glows with enthusiasm as he walks around the showroom. “Yes, these cars are exotic,” he said. “They have character, individuality.”He said that while he can appreciate a Ferrari or a Porsche, “I’d rather drive one of these.”And he enjoys selling them to other enthusiasts. “These cars invoke memories, emotions. People come in and they have stories” about similar cars they had in the past.Little purchased the property last August, and began to show cars around October. But the business’s official debut will be this Memorial Day weekend. Little said he sources cars from all over the country, and depending on what kind of shape they are in, they will attract the serious (and well-heeled) collector — or someone who will actually drive the vehicle.Little and his team put the finishing touches on the cars; they don’t do ground-up restorations. He pointed to a 1972 Buick Skylark in the workshop area, which required relatively minor fixes — air conditioning recharge, fiddling with the cable on the emergency brake, replacing the fluids.When this particular car is finished, it will sell for around $30,000.Little said the business has an expanding Internet presence, and he gets a lot of word-of-mouth trade.Locals know his mechanic, Rick Peppe. And of course having a racetrack across the street doesn’t hurt.The shop is holding an open house Saturday, May 28, from 1 to 7 p.m., and everybody — not just muscle car fans — is invited to see the gleaming machines, such as the 1969 (“and a half”) Dodge A12 Super Bee, a factory racecar that is in such superb condition that the factory markings are clearly visible.Or the more prosaic Mustangs — the one muscle car that the layman inevitably picks out.Little said his goal is “to have cars for everybody.”For more information visit www.northwestcornerclassiccars.com or call 860-782-1997.Hours are Tuesday, 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, 1:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday by appointment (though the shop will be open during major race weekends).

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Classifieds - February 26, 2026

Classifieds - February 26, 2026

Help Wanted

PART-TIME CARE-GIVER NEEDED: possibly LIVE-IN. Bright private STUDIO on 10 acres. Queen Bed, En-Suite Bathroom, Kitchenette & Garage. SHARON 407-620-7777.

The Salisbury Association’s Land Trust seeks part-time Land Steward: Responsibilities include monitoring easements and preserves, filing monitoring reports, documenting and reporting violations or encroachments, and recruiting and supervising volunteer monitors. The Steward will also execute preserve and trail stewardship according to Management Plans and manage contractor activity. Up to 10 hours per week, compensation commensurate with experience. Further details and requirements are available on request. To apply: Send cover letter, resume, and references to info@salisburyassociation.org. The Salisbury Association is an equal opportunity employer.

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To save birds, plant for caterpillars

Fireweed attracts the fabulous hummingbird sphinx moth.

Photo provided by Wild Seed Project

You must figure that, as rough as the cold weather has been for us, it’s worse for wildlife. Here, by the banks of the Housatonic, flocks of dark-eyed juncos, song sparrows, tufted titmice and black-capped chickadees have taken up residence in the boxwood — presumably because of its proximity to the breakfast bar. I no longer have a bird feeder after bears destroyed two versions and simply throw chili-flavored birdseed onto the snow twice a day. The tiny creatures from the boxwood are joined by blue jays, cardinals and a solitary flicker.

These birds will soon enough be nesting, and their babies will require a nonstop diet of caterpillars. This source of soft-bodied protein makes up more than 90 percent of native bird chicks’ diets, with each clutch consuming between 6,000 and 9,000 caterpillars before they fledge. That means we need a lot of caterpillars if we want our bird population to survive.

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Stephanie Haboush Plunkett and the home for American illustration

Stephanie Haboush Plunkett

L. Tomaino
"The field of illustration is very close to my heart"
— Stephanie Plunkett

For more than three decades, Stephanie Haboush Plunkett has worked to elevate illustration as a serious art form. As chief curator and Rockwell Center director at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, she has helped bring national and international attention to an art form long dismissed as merely commercial.

Her commitment to illustration is deeply personal. Plunkett grew up watching her father, Joseph Haboush, an illustrator and graphic designer, work late into the night in his home studio creating art and hand-lettered logos for package designs, toys and licensed-character products for the Walt Disney Co. and other clients.

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Free film screening and talk on end-of-life care
‘Come See Me in the Good Light’ is nominated for best documentary at this year’s Academy Awards.
Provided

Craig Davis, co-founder and board chair of East Mountain House, an end-of-life care facility in Lakeville, will sponsor a March 5 screening of the documentary “Come See Me in the Good Light” at The Moviehouse in Millerton, followed by a discussion with attendees.

The film, which is nominated for best documentary at this year’s Academy Awards, follows the poet Andrea Gibson and their partner Megan Falley as they are suddenly and unimaginably forced to navigate a terminal illness. The free screening invites audiences to gather not just for a film but for reflection on mortality, healing, connection and the ways communities support one another through difficult life transitions.

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