$100k Raised at Art Auction To Aid in Ukraine Relief
VZ by Beth Rundquist Photo courtesy of Kim Schmidt Fine Art
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Lynn Lena Curtis’ artwork draws from the joy of colors, of nature, and of transformation.
Provided
NORTH CANAAN —An exhibit featuring paintings and collage work by local artist Lynn Lena Curtis is now on display at the Douglas Library of North Canaan and will remain on view through Feb. 25.
Lena, as she signs her work, has been creating art since childhood and works across a range of styles and mediums.
An informal reception with the artist is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 20, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the library.
The Douglas Library is located at 108 Main St Library hours are Mondays from 1:30 to 8 p.m., Wednesdays 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Fridays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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Housing conversion advances
Feb 04, 2026
Alec Linden
On Jan. 23, Salisbury’s Board of Selectmen approved the transferof $200,000 from the Affordable Housing Fund to the Salisbury Housing Committee for its plans to convert a mostly vacantmid-19th century home into three new affordable rental units. First Selectman Curtis Rand thanked the Salisbury Housing Committee for its efforts.
Sharon Center School
Riley Klein
SHARON — As budget season gets underway, the Sharon Board of Education has begun reviewing compensation packages for non-certified staff, as sharply rising health insurance costs continue to put pressure on school budgets.
During two special meetings held Jan. 15 and Jan. 27, the board discussed how to balance wage increases with higher employee health insurance contributions, with an emphasis on ensuring that non-certified employees still see income growth.
Region One Superintendent Melony Brady-Shanley said during the Jan. 27 meeting that the goal is “to make sure that longitudinally everyone is becoming positive in this experience.”
At the Jan. 27 meeting, board members discussed a potential 3.75% wage increase paired with a 2% increase in the employee insurance cost-share. The figures remain preliminary and may change as the budget process continues. Under the proposal, all non-certified employees who elect health insurance would still see salary growth in the coming year.
Non-certified employees include Sharon Center School staff without teaching credentials, such as the school nurse, custodians, paraeducators, secretary, and facilities and cafeteria managers.
In 2025-2026, five of the school’s non-certified employees elected for the state plan the school offers, known as the Connecticut Partnership Plan, which Brady-Shanley characterized as “the best plan there is… it’s the Cadillac of plans.”
Rates range from around $14,500 per year for a single plan to nearly $38,000 for a family plan.
The school’s non-certified employees currently pay a 5% cost-share – set to be raised to 7% with the proposed changes – of the overall rate. SCS’s non-certified employee cost-share contributions are low and will remain low for the region at large, Brady-Shanley said, noting that Connecticut employees average between 20% and 30% cost-shares.
“We want our employees to move forward,” she said.
Brady-Shanley reported that insurance rates are expected to rise by approximately 13.5% this year, and then closer to 9% in subsequent years.
“That is going to have a drastic increase on our overall insurance programs,” Brady-Shanley said.
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Lou Timolat, standing, moderates the town meeting in Falls Village Thursday, Jan. 29.
Patrick L. Sullivan
FALLS VILLAGE — A town meeting Thursday, Jan. 29, unanimously approved an appropriation of up to $48,251.39 for the purpose of entering into an agreement with Allied Engineering Associates for a new sand and salt shed, a truck washing system and a water and oil separator, all for the town’s highway department.
The in-person town meeting also approved a minor change to the town’s ordinance concerning the publishing of the annual town report.
First Selectman Dave Barger explained that the town recently received a state Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP) grant, and on the list of things partially covered by the grant are the salt shed and other improvements.
“These are long-needed,” Barger said, adding that the changes will bring the town into compliance with state environmental regulations.
He said the items were grouped together “because they are so closely related.” And it will make it unnecessary to come back to the Board of Finance and the town for another supplemental appropriation down the road.
On the second item, Barger said he and Town Clerk Johanna Mann initially looked at the town report ordinance to see if they could print fewer copies. State law requires publishing enough copies for 10% of a town’s population, which in the case of Falls Village means lots of extra copies that wind up getting tossed out.
Unfortunately, that idea was not possible.
In the course of looking at the ordinance, Barger and Mann realized there was a typographical error in referring to the relevant state law.
So the motion was to fix that error.
Eleven people attended, including all three selectmen, two voter registrars, and the town clerk.
Lou Timolat was the moderator.
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