Double trouble: Clayton sisters cradle success in lacrosse

Lola, left, and Georgie Clayton play to win.
Riley Klein

Lola, left, and Georgie Clayton play to win.
FALLS VILLAGE — With precision, power and poise, Georgie and Lola Clayton are dominating the Western Connecticut Lacrosse Conference.
The sisters from Lakeville have led Housatonic Valley Regional High School to second place in the WCLC and have their sights set on a championship.
“You can’t miss ‘em,” said Coach Laura Bushey. “Lola is a senior, she plays attack. The younger sister is a sophomore, Georgie. She plays midfield.”
Midway through the 2025 season, the Claytons had combined for 40 of the team’s 78 goals and propelled the Mountaineers to a league record of 5-1. And many of those goals were assisted by one or the other.

Their secret to success? Practice. Both players have been starters since they were freshmen and the on-field experience, they said, was a game changer.
“Experiencing it firsthand is really what improved me so much,” said Georgie. “And having Lola because she can talk to me at home and tell me what I’m doing wrong.”
Lola said a sibling rivalry fuels their passion for the sport.
“We most definitely go against each other purposefully,” Lola said.
“It’s motivation,” Georgie noted.
“It’s been like that forever. We played on the same soccer team since we were really little, so we’ve always been going against each other,” said Lola.
Neither sister had picked up a lacrosse stick prior to becoming freshmen at HVRHS.
“We never even watched a game,” Georgie said.
It was their neighbor, Catherine Bushey, daughter of Coach Bushey, who inspired the Claytons to start playing lacrosse.
“She got me really excited the first day. Ever since then, I’ve kind of wanted to get up to her level and show her that I can do it,” Lola said.

Catherine now plays club lacrosse at Lehigh University. Her older brother, Erin, is the assistant coach of the Mountaineers. He also played at HVRHS before the boys team was disbanded his senior year due to low enrollment.
After losing the 2024 WCLC championship game by one point, the Claytons said they intend to win the conference title this year.
“100% we want to win” Georgie said.
Lola added, “It’s definitely the goal” for her final varsity season.
Senior teammates Lou Haemmerle, Tessa Dekker, Olivia Peterson and Katelin Lopes are just as committed.
Watertown High School is the only WCLC team to beat HVRHS this year. The Mountaineers expect to face Watertown again in the postseason tournament.
“It would be really, really great to beat them,” Lola shared.
The WCLC title match is scheduled for May 28.
As for next year, Lola plans to join the club team when she attends St. Lawrence University.
With her big sister and four other seniors graduating, Georgie is hopeful there will be enough interest among the incoming class to fill a roster.
“I’ve talked to some upcoming freshmen,” Georgie said, and several students may sign up. “I’m hoping we’ll have enough because it’s such a good sport and team.”

CORNWALL — At the recommendation of the Cornwall Volunteer Fire Department, on Jan. 20 the Board of Selectmen voted to move forward with the purchase of two new trucks.
Greenwood Emergency Vehicles, located in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, was chosen as the manufacturer. Of the three bids received, Greenwood was the lowest bidder on the desired mini pumper and a rescue pumper.
CVFD’s Ian Ridgway sat on the truck committee and said Greenwood was not just chosen for the price, but also for the design of each vehicle. He said their models had a shorter wheelbase and more ground clearance, as well as extra storage space on board, compared to the next best bid.
After $100,000 in discounts offered by Greenwood, the combined purchase price for both vehicles was shown to be $1,200,408. The delivery time was estimated at 15 months.
CVFD raised $600,000 during its recent fundraising campaign, of which $500,000 will be given to the town to buy the trucks. That figure will be paired with $720,000 in town truck fund reserves. The additional donated funds will be used to outfit the trucks with equipment and tools.
“I want to praise the town of Cornwall,” said CVFD President Dick Sears. “We’re able to buy these beautiful new pieces of equipment courtesy of the tremendous citizenry of this town.”
FALLS VILLAGE — Robin Lee Roy, 62, of Zephyrhills, Florida, passed away Jan. 14, 2026.
She was a longtime CNA, serving others with compassion for more than 20 years before retiring from Heartland in Florida.
Robin loved the beach, sunshine, and gardening, and was known for her strength, humor, and unwavering support of those she loved.
She is survived by her daughter, Sierra R. Zinke, and brothers, Darren Roy and Todd Roy.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Sharon Thomkins Roy and Robert Roy, and her brother Nevin Roy.
No services will be held at this time.
SALISBURY — Marjorie A. Vreeland, 98, passed away peacefully at Noble Horizons, on Jan. 10, 2026.She was surrounded by her two loving children, Richard and Nancy.She was born in Bronxville, New York,on Aug. 9, 1927, to Alice (Meyer) and Joseph Casey, both of whom were deceased by the time she was 14. She attended public schools in the area and graduated from Eastchester High School in Tuckahoe and, in 1946 she graduated from The Wood School of Business in New York City.
At 19 years old, she married Everett W. Vreeland of White Plains, New York and for a few years they lived in Ithaca, New York, where Everett was studying to become a veterinarian at Cornell. After a short stint in Coos Bay, Oregon (Mike couldn’t stand the cloudy, rainy weather!) they moved back east to Middletown, Connecticut for three years where Dr. Vreeland worked for Dr. Pieper’s veterinary practice.In Aug. of 1955, Dr. and Mrs. Vreeland moved to North Kent, Connecticut with their children and started Dr. Vreeland’s Veterinary practice. In Sept. of 1968 Marjorie, or “Mike” as she wished to be called, took a “part-time job” at the South Kent School.She retired from South Kent 23 years later on Sept. 1, 1991.Aside from office help and bookkeeping she was secretary to the Headmaster and also taught Public Speaking and Typing.In other times she worked as an assistant to the Town Clerk in Kent, an office worker and receptionist at Ewald Instruments Corp. and as a volunteer at the Kent Library.
“Mike” loved the sun, sand and water and spent many summers at Westport Point, Massachusetts with the kids and their best friends, the Bauers.She was the consummate hostess, and a wonderful cook.She also appeared in several plays with The Sherman Players and also a show or two on special occasions at The Kent Community House.She took enjoyment from working outdoors doing chores around her home in North Kent.She lived in that house until she sold it and bought a condominium on North Main Street in Kent in May of 2003.She lived in the condo until 2018 after which her light began to fade and her last 8 years were spent comfortably at Noble Horizons.
“Mike” leaves behind her children, Richard (Susan) of Lakeville, her daughter Nancy Rutledge (Jim) of Salisbury; two grandchildren, Chandra Gerrard (Sean) of Litchfield, Matthew (Larissa) of Lakeville; three great grandchildren, Addison, Emilia and Everett, all of Lakeville.
She was predeceased by her beloved granddaughter Caroline in 2020.
All services are private.The Ryan Funeral Home, 255 Main St., Lakeville, is in charge of arrangements.
To offer an online condolence, please visit ryanfhct.com
SALISBURY -— Rafael A. Porro, 88, of 4 Undermountain Road, passed away Jan. 6, 2026, at Sharon Hospital. Rafael was born on April 19, 1937 in Camaguey, Cuba the son of Jose Rafael Porro and Clemencia Molina de Porro. He graduated from the Englewood School for Boys in Englewood, New Jersey and attended Columbia University School of General Studies. Rafael retired as a law library clerk from the law firm of Curtis, Mallet Prevost in 2002 and came to live in Salisbury to be nearer to his sister, Chany Wells.
Rafael is survived by his sister, Chany Wells, his nephew Conrad Wells (Gillian), and by numerous cousins in North Carolina, Florida, Wyoming, Arizona, Cuba and Canada. He was the eldest of the cousins and acknowledged family historian. He will be greatly missed.
A memorial service will be held at St. John’s Episcopal Church in June. Memorial contributions may be made to Salisbury Volunteer Ambulance Service, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Salisbury and Scoville Memorial Library.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.