Newly appointed to the volunteer position of Cornwall’s Housing Advocate, resident Jessica Brackman brings her experience, love of the community and energetic enthusiasm to the task of creating viable housing opportunities to ensure a vital future for the town.
“I come at this really wanting to help,” Brackman had said at the Wednesday, Oct. 19, forum convened by the Housing Plan Implementation Committee, where Brackman will serve with other town leaders working toward a common goal of promoting diversity in housing opportunities.
“I spent my first two undergraduate years at Connecticut College in New London and then transferred to University of California, Berkeley, graduating with a B.A. in History,” Brackman said in an interview on Sunday, Oct. 23.
After working as a journalist in San Francisco for a few years, she returned to New York to manage a family business in stock photography, a company she sold when she married Charles Melcher. They have a son, Daniel.
Charles had been weekending and summering in town since he was 12 years old and had developed a bond with the town and a grasp of its sense of community, Brackman said.
The family’s search for a country home when Daniel was a youngster, naturally brought Charles back to Cornwall, Brackman said.
“When I came and experienced the natural beauty, along with the casual, warm, intergenerational spirit of the place, I was quickly convinced. I’d never before encountered a community quite like it,” she said. “I fell in love with it and knew I wanted my son to grow up in this remarkable place.”
When her son went to college, Brackman returned to graduate school and earned a degree in social work to become a therapist and in 2019 attained an LMSW (licensed in New York and Connecticut). She went on to certification as a life coach.
“When I became aware that the town had an Affordable Housing Committee and was developing a plan for addressing this issue that included the designation of a Housing Advocate, I thought that this might be a way I could be of service,” Brackman said.
During her social work studies in the city, Brackman worked with people experiencing housing insecurity. She said that it was gratifying to be in a position to help them navigate the challenges, obtain assistance and to be of emotional and logistical support, just some of the skills she will use locally as a housing advocate.
Brackman anticipates working closely with Heather Dinneen, the town’s social services director. She praised Dinneen for her tireless and imaginative work helping residents deal with immediate housing, food and fuel emergencies.
“She has her hands full and can use back-up in addressing the longer-range issues of the broader and longer-term housing needs of the town — helping families develop strategies to get on a stronger economic footing and working with the Cornwall Housing Corporation and other agencies toward creating more affordable housing options,” Brackman said.
Currently, Brackman is exploring those options and how they might assist Cornwall, including the local parcel program administered through the Cornwall Housing Corporation (CHC) where land is leased to a homeowner with the CHC paying for driveway and well water installation costs, thereby reducing the cost to a homeowner who would need to be responsible for building the home.
Brackman encourages anyone seeking help with housing to contact her. She also wants to hear from homeowners who might be interested in exploring ideas for affordable rentals in their homes or on their property. Donations to help address immediate needs or long-term solutions are also welcome. Brackman can be reached at: housing@cornwallct.gov.
This article has been corrected to note that Jessica Brackman's son, Daniel, did not attend Cornwall Consolidated School as originally reported.
WOODBURY — Nonnewaug High School claimed twin titles in the Berkshire League soccer tournament finals.
The school's girls and boys teams were named league champions after finishing the regular season with the best win/loss records. Winning the tournaments earned each team a plaque and added to the program's success in 2025.
Both of Nonnewaug's varsity teams faced off against their counterparts from Housatonic Valley Regional High School in the tournament finals in Woodbury Tuesday, Oct. 28.
The boys game was played first. Housatonic took a quick 2-0 lead with goals from Gustavo Portillo and Jackson McAvoy. Nonnewaug responded in the second half with three consecutive goals: first from Cash Medonis then two from Vincenzo Rose. The Nonnewaug boys won 3-2.
The Nonnewaug girls team celebrates as victors in the Berkshire League tournament final Oct. 28.Photo by Riley Klein
The girls game followed. Nonnewaug and Housatonic traded goals early on and the score was tied 2-2 at halftime. Nonnewaug scored twice more in the second half to win 4-2. Housatonic's goals were scored by Ava Segalla. Rosie Makarewicz scored twice for Nonnewaug and Hailey Goldman and Aubrey Doran scored once.
Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference soccer tournaments begin Oct. 31. Both Housatonic teams qualified for the Class S tournament and both Nonnewaug teams qualified for the Class M tournament.
TORRINGTON — Joan Jardine, 90, of Mill Lane, passed away at home on Oct. 23, 2025. She was the loving wife of David Jardine.
Joan was born Aug. 9, 1935, in Throop, Pennsylvania, daughter of the late Joseph and Vera (Ezepchick) Zigmont.
Joan graduated from Harding High School.
She was a working artist for much of her adult life, starting her career studying plein air impressionist oil painting at the Cape Cod School of Art. Her work evolved to include a more representational style, and eventually a large body of abstract pieces. Her award-winning work has been shown in galleries and juried art shows throughout southern New England.
She is survived by her daughter Leslie and her husband George, brothers Joseph, Victor, and their families, nephews Gregory, Christopher, and their families, daughter-in- law Huong, and the extended Jardine family. She was predeceased by her son Douglas, and brother Michael.
A memorial service will be held at All Saints of America Orthodox Church, 313 Twin Lakes Road, Salisbury, Connecticut on Thursday, Oct. 30, at 10 a.m. Memorial contributions may be made to the All Saints of America Orthodox Church, PO Box 45, Salisbury, CT 06068.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
The ofrenda at Race Brook Lodge.
On Saturday, Nov. 1, the Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield will celebrate the Mexican Day of the Dead: El Día de los Muertos.
Mexican Day of the Dead takes place the first weekend of November and honors los difuntos (the deceased) with ofrendas (offerings) on an altar featuring photos of loved ones who have passed on. Elements of earth, wind, fire and water are represented with food, papel picada (colorful decorative paper), candles and tequila left for the beloved deceased. The departed are believed to travel from the spirit world and briefly join the living for a night of remembrance and revelry.
Music and events programmer Alex Harvey has been producing Día de los Muertos at Race Brook for the past three years, and with the closing of the venue looming, the festival takes on a deep and personal meaning.
“The anchoring gesture of Race Brook, long before I arrived on the scene, has always been to cultivate a space that thins the veil between the worlds. Something otherworldly is hiding in the mountain’s towering shadow: the whispering spring-fed stream, the dense lineage that founder Dave Rothstein brings, the woodsmoke that rises every night of the year from the firepits. This space communes with the spirits,” said Harvey.
“And so we cradle a special ache in our hearts as the leaves turn and the beautiful dance of Race Brook’s project of cultural pollination draws to a close. Fitting, then, to return for one last activation — Día de Los Muertos — a celebration of the end of things. A remembrance of those who’ve made the transition we are all destined for, but also a time when we honor many types of loss. And while we will all mourn those who aren’t there in the flesh, we will also, with humility, come as mourners for the space itself,” Harvey continued.
The event will be a night to remember, to celebrate and to release with ritual, music, and communal remembrance. Participants are invited to bring photos, talismans and offerings for the ofrenda (offering), as well as songs, poems or toasts to share in tribute to loved ones who have passed.
Mexican American musicians Maria Puente Flores, Mateo Cano, Víctor Lizabeth, Oviedo Horta Jr. and Andrea from Pulso de Barro, an ensemble rooted in the Veracruz tradition of son jarocho, will be performing.
Translating to “Pulse of the Clay,” their name reflects a deep connection to the earth and to the living heartbeat of culture itself. Through a synthesis of Mexican, Cuban, Venezuelan and Puerto Rican traditions, Pulso de Barro merges poetry, rhythm and communal song as pathways to coexistence with nature. Their performances feature the jarana and leona (stringed instruments), quijada, cajón, maracas, and marimba (percussion), the tarima (percussive dance platform) and a call-and-response of folk and original versadas.
The evening begins at 6 p.m. in the Barn Space with a Fandango de los Muertos featuring Pulso de Barro, a Race Brook favorite. At 8 p.m., the Open Mic for the Dead invites guests to speak directly into the spirit world — through word, music or memory. The night culminates at 10:30 p.m. with a Fandango for the Dead, a participatory music and dance celebration. Bring your instruments, your voices and your dancing shoes.
Race Brook Lodge is a unique rustic getaway destination for relaxation, hiking, live music, workshops, weddings and more. Sadly, it will be closing for good later in 2026, ending a storied chapter of Berkshire music, art, culture and well-being.
Come experience an evening that honors lost loved ones and the end of a Berkshire institution. The cycle of life endures. Surely, resurrection is in the cards for Race Brook Lodge.
For Tickets and info, visit: rblodge.com
