Community spirit in high gear at ‘Touch a Truck’

Community spirit in high gear at ‘Touch a Truck’

Talek Dobrusin, age three and a half, was delighted to learn that the 1947 tractor at Touch a Truck still runs.

Patrick L. Sullivan

LIME ROCK — The Lakeville Hose Company held its “Touch a Truck” fundraiser at Lime Rock Park Saturday, June 29.

Race cars whizzed by as people wandered around the vehicles from fire and ambulance squads, and local businesses such as Perotti Tree and Century Aggregates. And sometimes just someone’s tractor. Skyler Ohmen of Salisbury had his 1947 John Deere tractor ready to go.

He was asked if it runs. By way of an answer, he fiddled with knobs and levers and then turned the key.

It ran, much to the delight of Talek Dobrusin, age three and a half, who was perched in the driver’s seat under the watchful eye of his grandfather Alec Dobrusin.

Stacey Dodge sat inside the Salisbury Volunteer Ambulance Service’s vehicle, showing a group of interested young people exactly what all the straps are for.

And Ethan Borkowski of Torrington was on hand with state troopers Nate Day and Josh Wedge.

Borkowski, age 15, is a member of the Troop B cadet program. He said he comes to community events to “interact with the public.”

Day said the Troop B cadet program currently has four cadets and could certainly use more. Cadets learn how to conduct DUI stops and building searches, attend leadership and team building exercises, and undergo physical training.

The program accepts boys and girls, ages 13 to 20.

While the troopers and the cadet chatted with a reporter, several family groups approached and got pens, stickers, and a couple of youngsters even got to sit in the police car and play with the siren a little.

And in case of lagging interest among the younger set, there was also a bouncy house.

Latest News

One dead, two hurt in Sharon car crash

Emergency responders block Amenia Union Road in Sharon Saturday, Oct. 11, while responding to the vehicle crash.

Photo by Patrick L. Sullivan

Updated Oct. 13, 9:25 a.m.:

SHARON — Shea Cassidy-Teti, 17, of Salisbury, died Saturday, Oct. 11, in a tragic car crash on Amenia Union Road in Sharon.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rhys V. Bowen

LAKEVILLE — Rhys V. Bowen, 65, of Foxboro, Massachusetts, died unexpectedly in his sleep on Sept. 15, 2025. Rhys was born in Sharon, Connecticut, on April 9, 1960 to Anne H. Bowen and the late John G. Bowen. His brother, David, died in 1979.

Rhys grew up at The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, where his father taught English. Attending Hotchkiss, Rhys excelled in academics and played soccer, basketball, and baseball. During these years, he also learned the challenges and joys of running, and continued to run at least 50 miles a week, until the day he died.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kelsey K. Horton

LAKEVILLE — Kelsey K. Horton, 43, a lifelong area resident, died peacefully on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, at Norwalk Hospital in Norwalk, Connecticut, following a courageous battle with cancer. Kelsey worked as a certified nursing assistant and administrative assistant at Noble Horizons in Salisbury, from 1999 until 2024, where she was a very respected and loved member of their nursing and administrative staff.

Born Oct. 4, 1981, in Sharon, she was the daughter of W. Craig Kellogg of Southern Pines, North Carolina, and JoAnne (Lukens) Tuncy and her husband Donald of Millerton, New York. Kelsey graduated with the class of 1999 from Webutuck High School in Amenia and from BOCES in 1999 with a certificate from the CNA program as well. She was a longtime member of the Lakeville United Methodist Church in Lakeville. On Oct. 11, 2003, in Poughkeepsie, New York, she married James Horton. Jimmy survives at home in Lakeville. Kelsey loved camping every summer at Waubeeka Family Campground in Copake, and she volunteered as a cheer coach for A.R.C. Cheerleading for many years. Kelsey also enjoyed hiking and gardening in her spare time and spending time with her loving family and many dear friends.

Keep ReadingShow less
Eliot Warren Brown

SHARON — On Sept. 27, Eliot Warren Brown was shot and killed at age 47 at his home in New Orleans, Louisiana, in a random act of violence by a young man in need of mental health services. Eliot was born and raised in Sharon, Connecticut, and attended Indian Mountain School and Concord Academy in Massachusetts. He graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He and his wife Brooke moved to New Orleans to answer the call for help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and fell in love with the city.

In addition to his wife Brooke, Eliot leaves behind his parents Malcolm and Louise Brown, his sisters Lucia (Thaddeus) and Carla (Ruairi), three nephews, and extended family and friends spread far and wide.

Keep ReadingShow less