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From left to right, Coach Seth Gardner, Islay Sheil and Junior National Head Coach Colin Delaney
SALISBURY — Team SWSA reached new heights at the 2025 Junior Nationals Ski Jumping competition held in Park City, Utah.
Islay Sheil, 15, of Lakeville, won first place and a gold medal in the team competition with teammate Caroline Chor from the Ford Sayre Ski Club. They competed in the U16 category.
The annual event featured the best jumpers aged 12 to 19 in the U.S.
“Standing on the top of the podium was an unbelievable feeling,” Sheil said. “And I was also so happy that Seth was there as part of the coaching staff.”
Sheil is the first Salisbury Winter Sports Association athlete that has earned gold in the Junior National competition in many years, if ever.
From left to right,Coach Seth Gardner, Islay Sheil and Junior National Head Coach Colin DelaneyProvided
Seth Gardner, a SWSA jumper and coach gained his own notoriety when he was named assistant Junior National coach, a first in recent decades for SWSA.
“Coaching at the Junior National competition for the first time was an extraordinary experience,” Gardner said, “It was inspiring to see the growth of all of the athletes throughout the week.” He added that he was excited to bring back to Salisbury what he had learned in Park City “to help our athletes grow.”
Each year, the Junior Nationals rotate locations among the five divisions. SWSA will next host the event in 2027.
To learn more about SWSA visit jumpfest.org.
The town of Kent has applied for a STEAP grant to convert the Swift House into social service offices and the food bank.
It’s a never-ending goal for selectmen: find ways to increase revenue for their towns. One helpful source for many towns across the state, including those in the Northwest Corner, is the Small Town Economic Assistance Program, commonly know as a STEAP grant.
Martin Heft, who works with those grants at the state’s Office of Policy and Management, explained that these are funds available to towns that are ineligible to receive Urban Action bonds. They may be used for economic development, community conservation and quality-of-life projects. They must be for capital expenditures, which are those considered to be new construction, expansion, renovation or replacement for an existing facility or facilities.
This year $30 million has been allotted for the STEAP grants. The most a town can receive each fiscal year is $1 million. Award amounts will be based on the number of participating municipalities and the number of qualified applications. A 20% municipal match is preferred, but not required. Notification of award winners is expected to take place on April 3.
Once a town is granted the funds, an authorizing referendum vote and/or resolution by the local legislative body needs to be called by the Board of Selectmen in order to authorize the chief elected official to accept such a grant and enter into all contracts and agreements. If an award is approved, the town will be notified which state agency will be assigned to administer it. All grant payments will be made on a reimbursement basis.
Heft noted these are not annual grants, but are dependent on available funds and the governor’s approval.
According to information from OPM, “Any municipality that fails to adopt a plan of conservation and development at least once every 10 years shall be ineligible for discretionary state funding in excess of $25,000,” unless a special waiver is received.
Region One towns have submitted grant requests for a wide variety of projects.
In Sharon, the money is being sought to help correct a long-standing problem. First Selectman Casey Flanagan said the town is asking for $1 million to repair River Road, which has been reduced to one lane for about two years due to cracks in the pavement. “Water is seeping underneath and undermining the roadway,” he said. “Heavy rains are causing water to come down and wash away fine materials. We’ve been working with Cardinal Engineering to fix it. It’s not good. If the road washes away, it could trap those in houses beyond that area.”
Kent First Selectman Martin Lindenmayer said his town is looking for $1 million to renovate the Swift House on Maple Street (Route 341 East), which dates back to the 1700s, in order to relocate the social services office and town food bank to that site. “This will give us an opportunity to have the food bank open more,” he said. There are plans to put another room onto the building. A center room will be used for a common area. He said the food bank’s refrigerators and freezers can be housed there, since the floors have been determined to have adequate weight-bearing features.
In Falls Village, First Selectman David Barger said the town hopes to get a grant of $977,507 for several projects. These include making improvements to the salt shed and water-oil separator at the town garage, a new trash compactor at the transfer station, as well as a more secure (bear-proof) area at the site, some renovations to the Senior Center, repairs to the Town Hall roof, tree removal, upgrades at the recreation center and money toward replacing two town trucks. He gave high praise to the newly formed grant committee that helped in devising the list.
STEAP grants in Cornwall will go toward façade improvements for buildings owned by businesses or nonprofits, said First Selectman Gordon M. Ridgway. “We’ve done this before in three other cycles and it’s really been a big help,” he said. “It’s key to building the local economy, giving jobs to contractors and supporting lumberyards” The upgrades can be to increase energy efficiency, improve landscapes, parking lots and plantings, as well as painting. He said a prominent barn in town will be painted if the grant comes through. Cornwall is asking for $475,000.
Recreational projects are the focus of the STEAP grant application for $350,000 in Salisbury. First Selectman Curtis G. Rand said the bulk of the work is for upgrades at the Town Grove, such as the kiddy swimming dock and padding under the playground. Improvements will also be made to the all-purpose court on Salmon Kill Road if the grant is awarded.
North Canaan did not submit a STEAP grant application this year. Paul Mattingly, the selectmen’s executive assistant, wrote he and First Selectman Brian Ohler “are still gathering the necessary information for numerous road/bridge projects, as well as the pending needs for our local transfer station. North Elm Street, Sand Road, West Main Street and Old Turnpike South are all in need of engineering assessments, which will allow us to then compile the data needed to support our future STEAP grant applications. Each road’s surface is deplorable, and in some areas, a harboring pool for excess water and stormwater runoff. Increased truck traffic has not been kind to these particular roads. The scope of work will include all new excavations and drainage, along with a new road surface which will be rebuilt from the subsurface on up.”
Kent Volunteer Fire Department responded to four calls in the span of about five hours, throughout Kent on Friday, March 21. Multiple structures were lost and many residents experienced power outages during the incidents.
KENT — Years of training came into play Friday, March 21 when, in a chaotic few hours, first responders from across the state all converged on KenMont and KenWood Camps where a fire was greedily consuming two camp buildings.
Responding to the scene were 12 fire departments, fire marshals, state police, the DEEP Forestry Protection division, Eversource, the Litchfield County Fire Coordinator, the Region 5 Rehab Unit from Danbury, the Kent Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary and the Salvation Army Food Truck
In addition to the units responding to the scene, additional mutual aid departments moved into the vacated fire departments’ headquarters, providing protection for towns whose trucks had gone to Kent.
All of these separate entities melded together in one mass effort to stop the fire before it could destroy even more property or escape into the forest. Controlling the scene and directing individual units’ duties was incident commander Wendell Soule of the Kent Volunteer Fire Department.
“We divide up operations with the chief, a water supply officer and a staging officer,” Kent Fire Chief Alan Gawal explained. “When the first officer arrives, they size up the situation and as higher-ranking officers come in, they decide if they need a second alarm or third alarm. Calling additional companies is based on different factors, including the location and what the water sources are.”
In this instance, pumper trucks pulled water from a nearby lake, conveying it to the fire scene.
The alarm was sounded at 10:05 a.m., according to Gawal. “The first Kent officer was on the scene at 10:12,” he said. “By 11:57, the fire was declared under control.” And by 2 p.m., firefighters were leaving the scene.
Gawel said two 60-foot-by-20-foot camp cabins were fully engulfed in flames at the time the firefighters arrived and that there were “multiple exposures to fire” for 10 other cabins.
Whipping winds of up to 30 mph complicated efforts to control the fire and eventually a third cabin succumbed to the blaze.
The cabins at the camp are heated by propane and Gawel said four of the tanks caught fire with one suffering a BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion). “Shrapnel went into the air when the top blew apart like a bomb,” Gawel said.
Crews were able to shut off the other tanks and Eversource killed the power to electric lines to prevent more explosions.
A blown propane tank sits among ash and debris at the scene of the fire in Kent March 21.Provided
According to a statement released by the camp, an electrician working in an unused staff cabin inadvertently sparked the blaze. The camp, located at 65 Kenmont Rd., offers co-ed programs for kids aged 7 to 15 during the summer.
Following the incident, camp owner Brad Lerman said, “We at KenMont KenWood Camps are incredibly grateful for the quick response of the many local fire companies and the many other emergency personnel who quickly responded to this morning’s limited structure fire.”
Gawel added his own note of appreciation to all the other organizations that contributed to the day’s success.
Two Kent firefighters were injured at the scene and received treatment in the hospital.
“One was released, and the other was admitted,” Gawel said, adding that firefighters were waiting for word about the hospitalized firefighter’s condition.
“He is a long-time Kent resident,” the chief said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with that firefighter and his family. We volunteer to do this job, but sometimes I think people don’t realize that it is dangerous.”
He asked residents to send their best wishes to the injured firefighters via the company’s Facebook page. HIPAA regulations prevent releasing identities.
The firefighters left the scene around 2 p.m., but their day was far from over. As that scene was winding down, an accident scene was developing. Route 7 was shut down at 1:30 p.m. at the junction of routes 7 and 341 while emergency crews worked to free a motorist whose car had become entangled in electrical wires brought down by a felled tree.
Eversource was at the scene by 1:52 p.m. and the wires were removed from the car by 1:58 p.m. First responders left the scene 15 minutes later, the motorist having refused hospital transport, and the investigation was turned over to the State Police. Route 7 was reopened.
At 2:31 p.m., Kent Engine 1 reported a possible illegal burn on Schaghticoke Road and asked Litchfield County Dispatch to notify the Connecticut State Police. Shortly thereafter, Kent Engine 2 responded to Schaghticoke Road, but by 2:51 p.m. both trucks responded to Jennings Road where another tree was reported down across the entire road.
A fifth alarm dispatched to Kent School for an automatic alarm in the chapel.
Kathryn Boughton is the editor of Kent Dispatch.
Classifieds 3/27/25
Help Wanted
Employment Opportunities: Wyantenuck Country Club is seeking staff for the 2025 season. Want to work in a beautiful setting with a great team? Full and Part-Time Employment available. Positions Available; Bartenders, Dishwashers, Line Cooks, Waitstaff. Bartender position starts end of March; Dishwasher, Line Cook and Waitstaff positions available the end of April. Please email: brandon@wyantenuck.org or call 413-528-0350.
Employment Opportunities: Wyantenuck Country Club is a private club. Want to join our team? Full Time position available. Position Available; Head Waitstaff Position available the end of April. Please email: brandon@wyantenuck.org or call 413-528-0350.
Services Offered
Hector Pacay Service: House Remodeling, Landscaping, Lawn mowing, Garden mulch, Painting, Gutters, Pruning, Stump Grinding, Chipping, Tree work, Brush removal, Fence, Patio, Carpenter/decks, Masonry. Spring and Fall Cleanup. Commercial & Residential. Fully insured. 845-636-3212.
Need any home or yard improvements?: We have a solution! Gallagher Home Solutions is taking on new clients for 2025! We take pride in our work and look forward to working with you. Specialize in all Home Improvements & Maintenance, Property Management & Drainage. 475-434-0686. dagalla911@gmail.com.
Antiques, Collectibles
MID CENTURY FURNITURE WANTED:1950’s-1970’s designer modern furniture and lighting. Danish, French, Italian and American design. Eames, Knoll, Herman Miller, Nakashima, Wegner, Noguchi Etc. Buying Vintage Porsche cars any condition. Open Air Modern 718.383.6465 info@openairmodern.com.
Farm Products
Hay For Sale: Round Bales. First Cutting covered hay, round bales. First cut hay covered with plastic. $25.00 for bale loaded. 860-671-0499.
Help wanted: Small Angus Farm seeks reliable help for cattle and horses. Duties include feeding, fence repair, machine repair. Will train the right person. 860-671-0499.
Real Estate
PUBLISHER’S NOTICE: Equal Housing Opportunity. All real estate advertised in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1966 revised March 12, 1989 which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on race, color religion, sex, handicap or familial status or national origin or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. All residential property advertised in the State of Connecticut General Statutes 46a-64c which prohibit the making, printing or publishing or causing to be made, printed or published any notice, statement or advertisement with respect to the sale or rental of a dwelling that indicates any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, age, lawful source of income, familial status, physical or mental disability or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.
Houses For Rent
MT RIGA Two Bedroom LAKEFRONT: Log cabin. Private beach, canoes and kayaks. $1350/Week. 585-355-5245.
Sharon Rentals: 1b/1b home on a private lake. Avail 4/1/25. Yearly. $2750/Furnished, weekly housekeeping, garbage, water, ground maint. included. utilities addtl. 860-309-4482.