NORTH CANAAN — For about a decade now, the town has owned the old Laurel Grange Hall on Route 44 in East Canaan. It was given to the town after the grange disbanded. Boy Scout Troop 22 has used it since, mostly for storage. A major problem there is the lack of a bathroom, or enough land to install a septic system. The lot is barely bigger than the footprint of the building, and it backs up against a steep hill. Those using the building have to park along the Route 44 shoulder and climb steep, crumbling steps to the front door. The property itself could not support even a small home under current building and zoning codes.The hall was described as “a great old building,” by the selectmen at their meeting Jan. 3, but one that has outlived its usefulness and that needs a lot of work. There seems to be no option other than demolition.The three abutting property owners have been contacted. The board said it would likely offer the property to one of them for $1, with the cost of demolishing the building their responsibility.Paul Vernali was the only one to express an interest. “It’s probably in our best interest and his to sell it to him. He would pay for the cost of demolition, if he decides to do that,” First Selectman Douglas Humes said.
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Run & Wag 5K returns to Cornwall Oct. 17
Ruth Epstein
Oct 07, 2026
Brittany Telke and her pup Mazikeen, of Bristol, won their fifth Run & Wag 5K in 2025.
Simon Markow
CORNWALL – The 13th annual Run & Wag 5K, sponsored by the Little Guild animal shelter, will be held on Saturday, Oct. 17, at noon at the town Green (27 Pine St.).
Billed as the premier human/dog race in the region, the event offers runners, walkers and their canine companions an opportunity to compete in a unique event, while at the same time supporting the mission of the Little Guild to rescue and find homes for dogs and cats in need.
The race is open to runners and walkers with or without dogs.
The course winds through historic Cornwall Village and the scenic Cornwall valley.
Beyond the race, visitors can enjoy food, treats, live local music and a chance to watch the dogs in attendance.
Jenny Langendorfer, director of the Little Guild, said, “The Run & Wag 5K is such a special day for the Little Guild. The joy of our community is on full display as runners, walkers and their dogs cross the finish line. It is a reminder of exactly what we work for— the bond between people and their pets.Every registration helps a dog or cat get a second chance.”
Registration is online only and closes on Oct. 16. Cost is $35 for adults and $20 for youth (17 and under).
Awards will be given for top finishers in adult male, adult female, youth male and youth female categories, as well as dog/human teams in those categories. The Run & Wag 5K offers non-binary as a gender option when registering, but there are no award categories for this designation.
On-site packet pickup, the start of live music and the opening of food trucks begin at 11 a.m. The race kicks off at noon. The awards ceremony is at 1:30 p.m.
Race shirts will be distributed as long as the supply lasts.
For information and registration, visit littleguild.org/runwag
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October school board meetings to focus on Region One study
Ruth Epstein
Oct 07, 2026
Salisbury Central School
File photo
Region One boards of education will give the public an opportunity for input on the organizational study now being conducted by the central office when meetings convene later this month.
Last spring Supt. Melony Brady-Shanley proposed that she and Business Manager Sam Herrick launch a comprehensive kindergarten-through-grade-12 study to evaluate the district’s school structure, address declining student enrollment, manage rising operational costs and explore potential school consolidation.
The study is planned to run until May 2027, with findings to be presented in June.
At the last meeting of the ABC (All Boards Chair) Committee, Brady-Shanley emphasized the importance of gathering information and opinions from as many sources as possible.
A survey open to residents of the region was conducted and the findings are expected to be shared at these school board meetings, where those in attendance will be able to comment and ask questions.
Meeting schedule
Lee H. Kellogg Board of Education (Falls Village)
Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 6 p.m. Those wishing to join,go to Google Meet and click: https://meet.google.com/kkp-fdkc-tbs or dial+1 929-299-3009 PIN: 321 480 565#
Cornwall Consolidated School
Tuesday, Oct. 20 from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m. Join Google at https://meet.google.com/hxk-ohjy-egi or dial + 1 513-480-5307 PIN: 305 040 287#
Kent Center School
Wednesday, Oct. 21, from 6 to 7 p.m. Join Google at https://meet.google.com/ydq-ntny-ggk or dial+1 651-968-1042 PIN: 801 392 490#
North Canaan Elementary School
Wednesday, Oct. 21, from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m. Join Google at https://meet.google.com/fjo-hbwi-gzw or dial+1 601-869-6219 PIN: 671 687 463#
Salisbury Central School
Thursday, Oct. 22, from 6 to 7 p.m. Join Google at https://meet.google.com/mje-oobz-hci or dial +1-281-886-0974 PIN: 696 714 181#
Sharon Center School
Thursday, Oct. 22, from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m. Join Google at https://meet.google.com/ycs-atmh-rne or dial +1 385-404-0425 PIN: 984 102 497#
NOTE: All meetings are virtual
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Sharon home prices rise 21% as sales decline
Christine Bates
Oct 07, 2026
The renovated three-bedroom, 2.5-bath home at 3 West Mountain Road, set on 4.92 acres with mountain views, recently sold for $1 million.
Christine Bates
SHARON — The median sale price of a single-family home in Sharon rose 21% to $730,000 for the 12 months ending Aug. 31, 2026, compared with $605,000 a year earlier.
A total of 36 single-family homes sold during the period, down from 42 in the preceding 12 months — a decline of 14%. The figures exclude condominiums.
Despite the year-over-year increase, the median sale price was 17% below the all-time high reached in August 2024. There were 33 sales during the 12 months ending that August.
At the end of September, 31 single-family homes were listed for sale. Of those, 14 had asking prices above $1 million.
Land listings remained stable, with 14 parcels available on the Multiple Listing Service at asking prices ranging from $135,000 to $1.25 million. Four parcels were smaller than 10 acres.
With the summer rental season over, 13 homes were listed for rent.
Nine offered annual leases, with furnished and unfurnished options ranging from $1,850 to $6,500 per month. The remaining four sought tenants for the academic year or winter season.
Sharon July Transfers
29 Joray Road – Antique house on 183.7 acres transferred by Robert Seber and Thao Do to Charlotte Sabbagh Trustee, Charlotte G Sabbagh Revocable Trust for $530,000.
3 West Mountain Road – 3 bedroom/2.5 bath house on 4.92 acres transferred by Melissa Neel to Anne Powers for $1 million.
86 Cornwall Bridge Road – 3 bedroom/1 bath cottage on .75 acres transferred by Pace Home Buyers LLC to BCH Fields LLC for $360,000.
Sharon August Transfers
1 Clay Beds Road – 25.8 acres of land transferred by Estate of Chris Marino to Scott Schroder for $225,000.
* Town of Sharon real estate transfers recorded between July 1, 2026, and August 31, 2026, provided by Sharon Town Clerk. Transfers without consideration are not included. Current market listings from Smart MLS and market statistics from InfoSparks. Note that recorded transfers may lag sales by a number of days. Compiled by Christine Bates, Real Estate Salesperson with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, Licensed in CT and NY.
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Police Blotter: Troop B
Lakeville Journal
Oct 07, 2026
Police Blotter: Troop B
John Coston
The following information was provided by the Connecticut State Police at Troop B. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Subaru hits utility pole
Kelly Whelan, 53, of Salisbury, was driving westbound on Route 44 in Salisbury in a 2010 Subaru on Monday, Sept. 28 at approximately 2 p.m. when the vehicle left the right side of the roadway and struck a utility pole. The Subaru was towed from the scene and Whelan was issued an infraction for traveling too fast for conditions. No injuries were reported.
Salisbury case arrest
On Tuesday, Sept. 29, at approximately 10 p.m. Troop B troopers were notified that Benjamin Sumner, 29, of North Canaan, was in the custody of the Winchester Police Department and he was subsequently placed in custody of Troop B, which held an active arrest warrant for him related to an incident in Salisbury on Aug. 24.
He was released from custody on a $10,000 cash surety bond and was scheduled to appear in Torrington Superior Court on charges of risk of injury to a child, physical threatening in the second degree and second-degree strangulation/suffocation.
The Lakeville Journal will publish the outcome of police charges. Send mail to P.O. Box 1688, Lakeville, CT 06039, Attn: Police Blotter, or send to editor@lakevillejournal.com
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Blessings and best in show for Sharon’s dogs
Ruth Epstein & Madi Long
Oct 07, 2026
The Rev. John Allison blesses Blue, a rescue dog available for adoption, during the Blessing of the Animals at Christ Church in Sharon on Sunday, Oct. 4.
Madi Long
SHARON — Nearly 20 dogs received blessings at Christ Church’s annual Blessing of the Animals in Sharon on Sunday, Oct. 4. Participants also brought photographs of cats and deer to be blessed.
The Rev. John Allison began by explaining the observance and leading participants in prayer. Dogs and their owners then stepped forward one by one to receive a blessing.
“I enjoy being around animals,” he said before the outdoor service, noting that dogs were the only animals physically present this year.“I’ve blessed snakes, lizards, goats—it depends where I am.”
The gathering was noisier than a typical church service, with dogs of all shapes and sizes in attendance. Some watched stoically while others sniffed each other and played.
Rev. Allison personalized each blessing. For two dogs available for adoption, he prayed that they would find loving homes.
Gus and Blue are being fostered by Stephanie Saetta, who recently opened Charlie Chicken Bones Sanctuary in Sharon.
Blue, a 7-year-old shepherd-hound mix with one blue eye and one dark eye, came from Texas, where he had lived on the streets his entire life. Despite hisdifficult beginning, Saetta described him as sweet-natured.
Gus, a 7-month-old Labrador retriever mix, was abandoned and lived under a car for eight weeks with his sisters.
“He just wants to please,” said Colleen Saetta, Stephanie’s mother, who was holding his leash. “He is so loving.”
Following the blessings, many of the dogs competed in a dog show in front of the church.
The entrants included a Coton de Tulear, a family of Cavalier King Charles spaniels, a standard poodle and several mixed breeds.
Town Selectman Lynn Kearcher and Liz Forstmann judged the dogs as they went around the ring. Entrants were asked to trot and respond to commands such as lie down, sit and come.
The winners were Dexter, most likely to succeed in Hollywood; Stella, most energetic; Blue, most stoic; Lola, star cavalier; Homer and Minnie, runner-up cavaliers; Rose, favorite person dog; Lily, most amenable; Gus, most potential; Tallulah, best dressed and most senior, at 14; Cleo, just a joy; and Bo, perfect all around.
Best in Show went to Ossip, a Coton de Tulear owned by Claude and Roger Lourie.
All entrants went home with a medal and a bag of goodies, including biscuits and a bone.
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Heating costs squeeze Northwest Corner households
Debra A. Aleksinas
Oct 07, 2026
Chris Andrews and Chelsea Weintraub, co-owners of Slate Ridge Farm in Sharon, stack firewood as rising heating-oil prices prompt customers to stock up earlier than usual for winter.
Debra A. Aleksinas
CORNWALL — Northwest Corner residents are buying heating oil in smaller quantities, spreading payments over the year and turning to firewood as rising prices put pressure on household budgets and heating-assistance programs.
Connecticut’s average heating-oil price reached $5.91 a gallon in the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s Sept. 21 survey, up nearly 86% from the same week last year.
A 200-gallon delivery at that price costs about $1,182, compared with $635 a year ago — an increase of about $547.
Assistance dollars stretched
In Cornwall, Rebecca Hurlburt, the town’s social services director and municipal agent for the elderly, had eight appointments on Oct. 1, the first day of the town’s heating-assistance season.
Her biggest concern this year is that higher fuel prices will limit how far that assistance goes.
Cornwall’s Food and Fuel Fund helps low-income and vulnerable residents pay for heating, utilities and other emergency needs. It is supported by state grants Hurlburt applies for and monetary donations, she said.
The seasonal allowance remains $1,400 per household, according to Hurlburt. At $6 a gallon, that buys about 233 gallons of heating oil.
“The allotment amount is going to disappear at $6 a gallon,” Hurlburt said. “I don’t know how people are going to do it between the rising cost of gas, heating oil and food. It definitely creates anxiety and insecurity.”
In previous years, Hurlburt said, she might have been able to tell a client twice per season, “I’ll fill your tank.” Now, she may have to arrange smaller deliveries of about 100 gallons at a time.
Residents can also apply for the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program, which provides basic heating benefits of $355 to $705 this year, usually paid directly to fuel suppliers or utilities.
Eligibility depends on household income and size. Annual income limits include $48,714 for someone living alone, $63,703 for a two-person household and $93,681 for a family of four. Applications are open for the 2026-27 season, with details at CT.gov/heatinghelp.
Hurlburt worries about what will happen as the winter progresses and assistance runs out.
“I really think people don’t get what’s going to happen this winter,” she said. “A month from now it could be worse. What happens when people run out [of assistance]?”
Cornwall has not seen a significant increase in residents seeking local assistance over the past three years, Hurlburt said, but she is unsure whether that will hold this season. The full impact of higher heating costs may become apparent in January, she said.
Residents change how they buy
Local fuel dealers are already seeing changes in how customers purchase and budget for heat.
At Klebe Fuel Co. in Winsted, Operations Manager Gerry Greco said participation in the company’s budget program is up about 10% from last year.
The company’s Flex-Pay plan divides estimated annual heating costs into monthly payments, helping customers avoid large bills when oil is delivered.
“We are having a lot more people go on budget programs,” Greco said.
For customers with limited or fixed incomes, he said, spreading out the expense can make payments more manageable. “They don’t have to come up with $1,000 to $2,000” at one time.
Greco said the company has also received more calls from customers asking about smaller deliveries, although the company’s minimum is 100 gallons.
Other customers are turning to alternative fuels or upgrading furnaces to improve efficiency, he said.
At Warren Valley Oil & Propane, which serves Litchfield County, co-owner and operator Ryan Curtiss said the company became busier earlier than usual this year. Many customers, he said, are locking in prices for the season through price protection plans.
Price protection plans help customers manage changes in heating-oil prices. Fixed-price contracts lock in a rate for a specified period or quantity, protecting customers from increases but holding that rate even if market prices fall. Meanwhile, capped-price plans set a maximum rate while allowing customers to benefit should prices drop, subject to the contract’s terms.
Customers interested in price protection should contact their fuel supplier for current offers, including the price per gallon, contract duration, minimum purchase and fees.
“We are definitely seeing a mix,” Curtiss said of the plans being selected.
Furthermore, some of his customers are taking minimum 100-gallon deliveries rather than filling their tanks while hoping prices will fall.
The market has been unusually volatile, Curtiss said, with prices sometimes moving 30 or 40 cents during a day before settling at a different level.
“It’s been very tricky for customers to try to identify the bottom as it has been for us to price it,” he said.
At Jasinski Fuel Service in Harwinton, owner Johnnie Jasinski said customers are similarly watching their wallets, particularly those living on fixed incomes.
“Right now, with the price of heating oil trending toward the higher side, they’re scared,” Jasinski said.
Some customers are taking 100- to 150-gallon deliveries and hoping prices eventually decline, he said. He also offers budget arrangements on a case-by-case basis, allowing customers to spread payments over the season.
His current retail price was $5.89 a gallon when he spoke with The Lakeville Journal on Oct. 2.
“I tell people, if you don’t need it right away, don’t buy it,” Jasinski said, explaining that he watches the market and will call customers when he sees prices moving lower.
Turning to wood for supplemental heat
Higher heating-oil costs are also prompting some homeowners to turn to firewood for supplemental heat.
At Slate Ridge Farm in Sharon, owners Chris Andrews and Chelsea Weintraub said their firewood business is experiencing its busiest season in the three years they have been selling wood.
Normally, Andrews said, the peak buying season runs from October through December. This year, customers began placing orders in June, July and August.
“This year it started earlier,” Andrews said, noting that one returning customer bought three times the usual amount of firewood, something the business had not seen in previous years.
Slate Ridge sells kiln-dried firewood for $690 a cord and seasoned firewood for $520 a cord. The wood is harvested from the 125-acre farm. Andrews said the kiln-dried price had been about $580 a cord before rising diesel and other operating costs pushed it higher.
Delivery is included in the per-cord price for customers in Sharon and nearby Amenia, N.Y. Deliveries elsewhere within the farm’s Northwest Corner service area come with an additional charge, Andrews said. Although he receives inquiries from across Connecticut, he limits deliveries to the local area.
Andrews said several customers are switching to outdoor wood-burning furnaces, which heat water that is then circulated to the home’s heating system.
He estimated the systems can cost $15,000 or more.
Jasinski said he has also seen increased interest in firewood for supplemental heat, which also stems from the July 4 storm that knocked down so many trees.
“I know the price of oil is ridiculous,” Jasinski said, “but you have to be careful when the temperature drops below freezing.”
He cautioned that supplementing oil heat with wood requires keeping enough warmth throughout the home to protect pipes.
“Trying to conserve on extra oil by using wood could cost more in the long run,” he said, warning that frozen and burst pipes can cause major damage.
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