For most people, it won’t make much difference that this year’s Round Hill Highland Games will be slightly different than they are in a normal year.
First of all, who really knows what normal means in a COVID-19 world.
And second, how can you really use the word “normal” when you’re talking about a day-long event at a race track that is dedicated to bag piping, throwing curling stones and tossing wood cabers the size of telephone poles.
“This year the athletic events are going to be a little smaller than usual,” said event organizer Cathy Sutherland (who was in quarantine with COVID at the time of this interview, just in case anyone thinks the pandemic is over).
Happily, it isn’t illness that’s taken the top caber tossers and shot putters away from these, the 99th annual Round Hill Highland Games (the games have been at Lime Rock Park in Salisbury, Conn., for about the last five years). The top competitors will be away at the U.S. Strongman Nationals that weekend.
Really, though, part of the charm of the Round Hill Games is the efforts of newcomers and amateurs to learn, with seriousness and determination, how to spin and throw heavy lead balls on chains and how to heave a lead shot putt from their shoulder.
It isn’t just burly Scotsmen in kilts taking part in these shows of strength and grace; the participants are unexpectedly diverse, including many women and many people of different colors and cultures, all joined together by the patterns of their tartans.
So don’t worry that the top national caber tossers won’t be at Lime Rock Park this Sunday, June 26. The gates open at 8:30 a.m. and activities continue until 4:30 p.m.
The schedule of events is a little bit loose-y goose-y but mid to late afternoon is an excellent time to go and see the pipe band competitions (my favorite). In the morning, there are individual pipers and drummers who are performing, and being judged. In the afternoon, though, you can witness the truly lovely and inspiring spectacle of the pipe and drum bands marching in formation, clad in their dressiest tartans and twirling their tasseled drum sticks.
At the end of the day, around 4 p.m., all the bands will come together for a mass parade.
Although the piping is my personal favorite part of the Highland Games, there is more (much more!) to do.
There will be demonstrations of Scottish arts and culture, including live music and Highland dancing. Members of the Norfolk Curling Club will have a tent on the grounds, and will bring their portable stones, so visitors can try a hand at curling.
There will be a variety of libations, including iced teas from Harney & Sons of Millerton, N.Y., and craft beers from Great Falls Brewing Co. in North Canaan, Conn.
There will be a whiskey tasting; you can either come and purchase individual samples, or pay a flat fee and attend an educational talk about how to drink whiskey properly.
Food will be served alongside the whiskey, and there will also be food trucks at the park.
“There won’t be any haggis this year,” Sutherland said, with regret, referring to the classic Scottish dish of sheep innards stuffed with oatmeal.
“There is a supply chain interruption and we can’t get sheep stomachs,” she explained.
Which takes us back to our original point: Our world continues to be abnormal, but the Highland Games are not exactly normal anyway — and yet they are rooted in centuries-old traditions.
Come on down to Lime Rock Park on Sunday, June 26, and be transported to another place and time. Learn more and order tickets at www.rhhg.org.
The Region One boys basketball team huddles up during a break in the game against Northwestern Thursday, Jan. 15.
Middle school basketball players battled on the courts of Northwestern Regional High School in Winsted Thursday, Jan. 15. Region One’s boys and girls teams took on Region Seven in side-by-side games. Region One’s team includes players from Cornwall, Falls Village, North Canaan, Salisbury and Sharon. Region Seven includes Barkhamsted, Colebrook, New Hartford and Norfolk.
The boys game was won by Region One 62-41. The girls game was won by Northwestern 27-14.
Athletes in both games played with intensity and passion.
The Region One middle school girls basketball team played Northwestern Jan. 15.Photo by Riley Klein
Canon Petero Sabune addresses the congregation at St. John’s Episcopal Church Sunday, Jan. 18.
SALISBURY — St. John’s Episcopal Church marked the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend by welcoming Canon Petero Sabune for a special service on Sunday, Jan. 18, followed by a visit to Salisbury School the next day.
King’s legacy and faith were central themes throughout the service. The first reading featured an excerpt from King’s final book, “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?” including the oft-quoted passage: "Returning violence for violence multiples violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
In his sermon, Sabune said that many accounts of King’s life and influence often “forget about his faith and convictions.”
“He was a baptized disciple of Jesus Christ,” Sabune said.
After the service, Sabune was asked about ongoing protests and controversy in Minneapolis. He noted that King’s philosophy of nonviolent resistance was shaped by Mahatma Gandhi, who in turn drew inspiration from the writings of Henry David Thoreau.
Sabune said civil rights workers and protestors in the 1950s and 1960s underwent formal training in nonviolence. “They taught people how to get hit and not respond, what [civil rights figure and congressman] John Lewis called ‘good trouble,’” he said.
Reflecting on more recent events, Sabune said that when considering the circumstances that led to the death of Renee Good at the hands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Jonathan Ross, “I feel the pain, not just for Renee, but for Officer Ross.”
Music also played a prominent role in the service. The hymns were drawn from “Lift Every Voice and Sing II: An African-American Hymnal.” Among them was “Precious Lord,” which King requested be sung the night before his death.
“Sing ‘Precious Lord’ and sing it pretty,” King told a follower.
Sabune’s visit to Salisbury followed a long journey that began with a bus ride from Tucson, Arizona, to Phoenix on Saturday, Jan. 17, followed by an overnight flight. The Rev. Johan Johnson, priest-in-charge at St. John’s and chaplain at Salisbury School, picked him up at 7 a.m. Sunday.
The two men have known each other for so long they cannot recall exactly where or when they first met. During an interview, Sabune paused to greet Johnson’s youngest daughter, whom he baptized.
As he headed toward the reception, where parishioners were waiting to greet him, Sabune was asked one final question:
“You going to get a nap in today?”
“Yes!” he said emphatically over his shoulder as he hurried up the aisle.
CORNWALL — A public hearing was held Tuesday, Jan. 13, to consider the creation of the West Cornwall General Business (WCBG) district.
The proposed zoning text amendment was submitted to the Planning and Zoning Commission in response to longstanding difficulties faced by West Cornwall business owners seeking to modify nonconforming buildings that do not meet current zoning requirements.
The amendment would establish the WCBG district as a separate zone, distinct from the existing business district in Cornwall Bridge. Within the new district, applicants are seeking to reduce the minimum lot size from one acre to 10,000 square feet, narrow the minimum lot width from 100 feet to 50 feet, and eliminate minimum front, side and rear setback requirements.
Most buildings in the area predate modern zoning regulations and were constructed directly on property lines, planning consultant Martin Connor told the commission on behalf of the applicants, West Cornwall Development Group LLC.
As a result of their nonconforming status, Connor said, many property owners have been unable to make even modest improvements. He cited the Pink House as an example, noting that its owners currently store buckets and mops outdoors because they are not permitted to construct a small exterior storage closet behind the building.
Public comment was mixed, with residents voicing both concern and support. Some speakers raised questions about safety and the potential impacts of the proposed changes, while others said the amendment would help bring long-standing nonconforming properties into compliance and create a more business-friendly environment. One resident asked the commission to allow additional time to review the application.
First Selectman Gordon Ridgway spoke in favor of the proposal, saying the current zoning framework “makes it very hard for any business to expand.” He added, “Having large amounts of property being zoned as nonconforming is bad planning, especially as we have for years tried to revive our business centers.”
After closing the public hearing, the commission discussed the proposal during its regular meeting and considered modifications before voting.
Commissioners focused their discussion on the proposed setback distances, citing fire safety concerns tied to the village’s historic character and the age of many buildings.
“Most of these buildings are old. They’re not built with fire blocking,” said Christine Gray, a commission member.
James LaPorta, also a commission member, raised similar concerns about safety and setbacks. “To have a zero side setback, I think, is asking for trouble in the long run. I think five [feet] would be fine.”
Commissioners said eliminating side setbacks entirely could create long-term safety risks and discussed whether a modest buffer would better balance flexibility for property owners with public safety considerations.
Commissioners also emphasized that any future applications within the district would still require review and approval by the Planning and Zoning Commission, as well as other relevant boards, including the Inland Wetlands & Watercourses Agency, the fire marshal and the Torrington Area Health District.
Chair Anna Timell moved to approve the application with a modification setting the side and rear setbacks at five feet, while reducing the front setback to zero feet. She cited the town’s Plan of Conservation and Development, which calls for reviewing and revising zoning regulations in business zones.
The motion passed unanimously.
Moving company
Commissioners also approved a site plan application for Karls on Wheels, a moving company proposing to locate at 26 Kent Road.
The plan includes no change to the footprint and no change in use, and does not permit self-storage on the site.
The application was approved unanimously.
Edward Aparo passed away peacefully at his home on January 7, 2026 surrounded by his loving family.
Edward was born on May 10, 1936 in New Britain, CT. He was the beloved son of the late Anthony and Rose Valenti Aparo and attended New Britain schools. On April 7, 1958 Edward married his school sweetheart Jean Ackerman beginning a devoted marriage that spanned 67 years. Together they built a life rooted in family, hard work and love.
Edward began his career working in the family business, Aparo’s Electric Motor Service Inc. where he learned the trade alongside his father. Following his father’s passing, Edward became the owner of the business, carrying on the family legacy with dedication and pride. Edward is survived by his loving wife Jean Ackerman Aparo, his sons Stephen Aparo and his wife Marie of New Britain, CT and Craig Aparo and his wife Valerie of Naples, Fl, his sister Arlene Aparo StGermain and husband Joseph of Hobe Sound FL and his cherished grandchildren Danny Aparo and wife Nicole, Tyler Aparo and Morgan Wilson and Jared Aparo all of New Britain.
Services with be private.
