CTDOT denies Falls Village request to reduce Rt. 7 speeds

FALLS VILLAGE — The state Department of Transportation (CTDOT) has turned down a request to reduce the 40 mile per hour speed limit on Route 7 between Page Road and Beebe Hill Road, including the intersection with Route 126.

First Selectman Dave Barger shared the report from CTDOT at the regular selectmen’s meeting Monday, Sept. 9. The agency did recommend changing the speed limit from 40 mph to 35 mph on Route 126 from a quarter mile south of Kellogg Road to Route 7.

There will be no change to the existing 25 mph limit on Route 126 in the village area, no change to the 35 mph limit on Route 126 (Point of Rocks Road/Belden Street) from Railroad Street, and to the 45 mph limit on Route 126 (Belden Street) from Sand Road to the Falls Village/North Canaan town line and Route 44.

The report states that “U.S. Route 7 is classified as a minor arterial roadway, which is designed to carry higher vehicular volumes and have higher speed limits than collectors and local roadways. The existing speed limit of 40 mph on U.S. Route 7 is appropriate for the roadway characteristics, pedestrian amenities, and roadside development.”

The report noted that speed limit signs are missing on Route 126, and CTDOT will replace them (to reflect the new speed limit on one stretch) as the work schedule permits. The report suggested considering portable “Your Speed” signs on Routes 7 and 126.

Barger said there will be a town meeting Tuesday, Sept 24, 6 p.m. at Town Hall, including agenda items such as the roof of 107 Main St., two bridge projects, and an increase in Planning and Zoning fees.

Barger unveiled a civility pledge and asked that all members of town boards and commissions sign it. He and selectmen Judy Jacobs and Chris Kinsella then signed it themselves.

Barger reported that the survey of 35 Railroad St. is complete and he was awaiting word from attorney Emily Vail on the next step toward completing the sale of the former firehouse.

Latest News

Gilbert Kenneth Schoonmaker

WINSTED — Gilbert Kenneth Schoonmaker, of Monroe, Connecticut, passed away peacefully on July 24, 2025, at the age of 77. Born on Jan. 18, 1948, in Winsted, Connecticut to Gilbert and Alta (Bierce) Schoonmaker, Gil spent four decades enjoying life on Highland Lake before settling in Monroe.

He is lovingly survived by his wife of 56 years, Sally (Gustafson) Schoonmaker, and his two daughters, Lynn Sindland and her husband Lee of Lead Hill, Arkansas, and Deb Pikiell and her husband Tim of Bristol, Connecticut. Gil was a proud grandfather to Ozzie, Tommy, Betsy, Katie, George, Lucy, Maddie, Joey, and Julia, and he cherished his time with his eight great-grandchildren. Gilbert leaves behind his siblings Ann, Gary, Gail, Jan, and Tim.

Keep ReadingShow less
Books and bites beckon at the upcoming Sharon Summer Book Signing

Author and cartoonist Peter Steiner signed books at Sharon Summer Book Signing last summer.

Photo by Stephanie Stanton

The 27th annual Sharon Summer Book Signing at the Hotchkiss Library of Sharon will be held Friday, Aug. 1, from 4:45 to 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Aug. 3, at noon.

Friday’s festivities will honor libraries and the power of the written word. In attendance will be 29 locally and nationally recognized authors whose books will be for sale. With a wide array of genres including historical fiction, satire, thrillers, young adult and non-fiction, there will be something for every reader.

Keep ReadingShow less
Voices from Ukraine to America come to Stissing Center July 27

Ukraine Emergency Fundraiser at The Stissing Center in 2022 raised over $120,000 for Sunflower of Peace.

Photo by Michael Churton

The spirit of Ukraine will be on display at the Stissing Center in Pine Plains on Sunday, July 27. Beginning at 5 p.m., the “Words to America from Ukraine” fundraiser is set to showcase the simultaneous beauty of Ukrainian culture and the war-time turmoil it faces, all the while fundraising in support of Ukrainian freedom.

“Words to America from Ukraine” aims to remind and spread awareness for the suffering that often gets forgotten by those who live in comfortable worlds, explained Leevi Ernits, an organizer for the event. “We are trying to make an attempt to remind people that we are human, and we are connected with human values,” she said. “With very few words, poetry can express very deep values.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Grumbling Gryphons’ set to celebrate 45th anniversary with gala and summer theater camp

Celebrating its 45th year, the Grumbling Gryphons will perform at HVRHS Friday, Aug. 1, at 7 p.m.

Photo provided

The Grumbling Gryphons Traveling Children’s Theater is preparing to celebrate its 45th year — not with fanfare, but with feathers, fabric, myth, chant, and a gala finale bursting with young performers and seasoned artists alike.

The Gryphons’ 2025 Summer Theater Arts Camp begins July 28 and culminates in a one-night-only performance gala at Housatonic Valley Regional High School on Friday, Aug. 1 at 7 p.m. Founder, playwright, and artistic director, Leslie Elias has been weaving together the worlds of myth, movement and theater for decades.

Keep ReadingShow less