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Karen Blakey Fisher
Karen Blakey Fisher
CORNWALL - Karen Blakey Fisher, born on May 26, 1956, in Torrington, Connecticut, passed away peacefully on Oct. 9, 2024, at Hartford Hospital, Hartford Connecticut. She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, daughter and friend who touched the lives of many with her infectious laughter and unwavering spirit.
Karen dedicated her life to her family and her passions. She and her husband, Gordon, spent countless hours nurturing their garden, sharing their love for flowers, and creating beautiful planters. An avid cook, she delighted in preparing meals for loved ones and cherished moments spent by the water, especially during family trips to Cape Cod. Karen was known for her adventurous spirit, often embarking on exciting outings with her daughter, Melissa, and granddaughter, Devyn. She had a remarkable ability to keep everyone entertained and was always the happiest person in the room.
Karen was a proud graduate of Housatonic Valley Regional High School and dedicated her professional life to helping others. After working in home healthcare, she and her sister, Lori, opened an environmentally conscious product store in Torrington. Later, she ran a deli in Cornwall, managing it from start to finish with her characteristic flair.
She is survived by her husband, Gordon Fisher; daughter, Melissa Root; granddaughter, Devyn Root; father, Gerald Blakey; mother, Patricia Benedict Blakey; brother, David Blakey; sister, Lori Blakey-Welles and her husband, David Welles; and cousin, Pamela Blakey-Hart. Karen’s legacy of love, laughter, and kindness will be deeply missed by all who knew her.
Karen will be remembered by her family at a private burial service.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to the American Cancer Society, honoring Karen’s compassionate spirit and her desire to help others. Her favorite quote, “What are they going to do, take away your birthday?” will always remind us to celebrate life, just as she did.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
Deborah Barlow Merwin
Deborah Barlow Merwin
MILLERTION — Deborah Barlow Merwin, 72, a thirty-seven-year resident of Millerton, and formerly a ten-year resident of Amenia, died peacefully on Monday, October 14, 2024 at her home in Millerton, surrounded by her loving family. Debbie had a decades long career as a Medical Secretary for the Sharon Hospital in Sharon, and former Hudson River Community Health Center in Amenia, as well as others.
Born Aug. 19, 1952, in Brockport, New York, she was the daughter of Duane Barlow of Brockport and the late Patricia (Rayburn) Barlow. Following high school she attended Central City Business Institute in Syracuse. On Aug. 25, 1973, in Brockport, she married John M. Merwin, together sharing over 51 years of marriage. Mr. Merwin survives at their home in Millerton. The Merwin’s were longtime members of the Congregational Church of Salisbury in Salisbury. Debbie’s greatest joy was spending time with her beloved family and her adoring grandchildren.
In addition to her husband John, Debbie is survived by two daughters, Melissa A. Merwin of Meriden, Conn., and Sarah M. Thomen and her husband Corey of Falls Village; two grandchildren, Ian and Gabriel Thomen of Falls Village; her brother, David Barlow and his wife Debra of Holley, New York; two sisters, Rebecca Conrow and her husband Thomas of Brockport and Cynthia Wilson and her husband Robert of Albion, New York; her nieces and nephews, Spencer, Matthew, Joy, Jill, Andrew, Peter, Nicholas and Avery and several additional family members and close friends.
Calling hours will be held on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Scott D. Conklin Funeral Home, 37 Park Avenue, Millerton, NY 12546. Funeral services will take place on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. at the Congregation Church of Salisbury, 30 Main Street, Salisbury, CT 06068. A reception is Debbie’s honor will follow in the fellowship hall at the Congregation Church of Salisbury. Burial will be private at Irondale Cemetery in Millerton at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or the American Red Cross. To send an online condolence to the family, flowers to the service or to plant a tree in Debbie’s memory, please visit www.conklinfuneralhome.com.
Town plan under review
SALISBURY — Salisbury Planning and Zoning Commission met Monday, Oct. 7 to revise and incorporate public comments into the draft of the ten-year Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD), which is due to update this year.
Over the course of the three-hour meeting, P&Z meticulously combed every page of the 121-page document, addressing stylistic and formatting concerns alongside input gleaned from the public engagement meeting held on Sept. 30. At that meeting, the Commission fielded comments from the public on a draft of the document, both from a live audience and from written letters submitted prior to the workshop.
P&Z Chair Michael Klemens expressed his gratitude to the community for its participation in developing the document: “I’m very pleased with participation both at the public engagement meeting and through the written comments,” he said. He emphasized that the public commentary was very helpful in developing the draft to send out for review.
The POCD is “an advisory framework to address long-term community needs consistent with the Growth Management Principles of the State of Connecticut’s Conservation and Development Plan,” as per the Salisbury town website. Salisbury’s last POCD was approved in 2012, and Connecticut state law required municipalities to update the plan every decade. Due to Covid-19 related concerns, the town was granted until the end of 2024 to complete document, a deadline the commission must meet in order to ensure discretionary state funding.
P&Z submitted the edited document on schedule to the Northwest Hills Council of Governments and the Salisbury Board of Selectman for a statutory 65-day review period.
Selectmen to discuss POCD
SALISBURY — There will be a special meeting of the Board of Selectmen Thursday, Oct. 24, 1 p.m. (hybrid) for the selectmen to discuss the Planning and Zoning Commission’s draft of the Plan of Conservation and Development.
The selectmen picked that date and time during the regular monthly selectmen’s meeting Monday, Oct. 9.
First Selectman Curtis Rand noted that as of Oct. 9 the selectmen had a first draft of the POCD. He said the board can accept or reject the entire thing, or sections of it.
“But we can’t do anything until we get the final draft.”
Rand said there will be a town meeting “soon” to handle several outstanding matters, including the town’s donation of a parcel of land on Undermountain Road and Grove Street to the Salisbury Housing Trust, combined with an easement giving control of the westernmost section of the parcel back to the town for open space.
The town meeting will also include funding for two new sidewalk tractors, additional remediation at the old transfer station site, and hydrilla-related funding for Twin Lakes.
The town meeting will include amending an existing ordinance to accurately reflect the cost of hooking up to town water and sewer. A separate matter of an encroachment on town property on Housatonic River Road might be on the town meeting agenda.
In the meantime, Rand said to the public: “Stop putting things in the town right-of-way — trees, stone walls, fences.”
Rand reported that the site plan for the old railroad station on Ethan Allen Street is finished. The selectmen agreed to refer the site plan to P&Z.
