
Chloe Crofut-Brittingham, left, and Dana Rohn at the Montage antique sale.
Patrick L. Sullivan
Chloe Crofut-Brittingham, left, and Dana Rohn at the Montage antique sale.
Those in search of the rare, the beautiful and the funky had several options in Salisbury on Saturday, May 11.
The Salisbury Handmade group of artisans had 21 vendors set up on the lawn in front of the White Hart Inn.
One newcomer to the group, Cheryl Markin, a graphic designer from Long Island by day, offered her “Upcycled Earrings,” made from bits of Super-8 movie film, floppy disk components, and 45 RPM record adapters.
One set, made from Schaefer beer bottle caps, stood out. The caps had a cork ring inside them.
Markin said she figured they were probably the only extant bottle caps of their kind anywhere.
She said the earrings started as a hobby and a fun gift for friends. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it became a business.
Another newcomer, Sara Collazo Romay, who hails from Spain and currently operates out of Kingston, N.Y., offered colorful handwoven pillows, towel and placemats.
Romay said she has been in the artisan business for about four years. This is her first market season.
She has also worked as a fashion designer and for the TJ Maxx discount clothing chain.
A veteran of these shows, Roger McKee, had his wooden keepsake boxes for sale, along with cutting boards shaped like fish and his own nature-themed artworks.
“No canoes this time?” he was asked.
He shook his head, adjusted his kilt and attended to a curious customer.
Meanwhile at the Salisbury Marketplace building on Academy Street (TK Need to doublecheck that name), the proprietors of Montage Antiques in Millerton were having a big sale of recently arrived pieces.
Chloe Crofut-Brittingham said the sale was the contents of a 40-foot container full of items purchased recently in Europe.
Her parents, Dana and Fritz Rohn, are the people behind Montage. Mother and daughter huddled briefly over the fate of a large table before returning to chat about the antiques.
Dana Rohn said the impetus behind the sale, which they do several times per year, was simple.
“When you get a container, it’s a lot of stuff. We’ve got 6000 soiree feet in Millerton but…”
And the customers get a break on the prices.
CORNWALL — It is with great sadness that I share that I lost my husband, Buddy, my best friend and soulmate in a matter of minutes with no warning, at home on March 31, 2025. Our wonderful children are a testament to who he was and what we are as a family.
Buddy was born Allyn H. Hurlburt III, but went by Buddy because his father and grandfather were both Allyns too.
During school, he excelled in public speaking and was the FFA President in 1972-1973, which earned him a sharp blue jacket with gold letters that he recently wore with the buttons proudly closed up! He grew up with his siblings working on the farm and ended up being the one who purchased the farm from his parents. Anyone who has ever worked a farm knows that the work is constant, hard and sometimes not profitable, though always rewarding, and a great way to raise children.
In 1997, life changed for both of us and we were lucky enough to “save each other” as we liked to refer to it, and we combined forces and families and made a go! What an adventure we had, more kids, more cows, more chickens and more fun. We even made time for a couple of big trips to Florida so Buddy could visit some of the country. With the help of our kids, we milked cows, planted corn, sold eggs and eventually even diversified into pasteurizing and selling our own cheese and milk in glass bottles. Delivered fresh weekly to 27 different stores all over Connecticut.
Alas, economics won out and we struggled until we decided that our quality of life would improve with two full time jobs and part time farming. Buddy worked for the Town of Cornwall until he retired. These last few years have been busy for him despite “retiring”, he had odd jobs mostly at home, helped anyone that asked, kept tabs on the kids and what they needed, fed the animals we still have and of course tended to his beloved bird family outside, which we will continue faithfully.
He mostly enjoyed his family, his children meant the most to him, gave him so much pride and joy and love. He would sing their praises ad nauseum to anyone who would listen or look at high school basketball footage or listen to stories of their accomplishments. He loved going to a field hockey game for Brooke and then watching Mason swim at the lake.
Buddy loved people, meeting people, talking to people, helping people, learning from people, everywhere he went. He was funny, kind, generous to a fault, and deeply loved me and our family. He was in a happy place in his life, with so many things that he was planning and looking forward to which makes his passing even more heartbreaking to us.
Buddy is survived by his loving wife Irene of 28 years, daughters, Ciara (John) Orchard, Caroline (Matthew) Murray, sons, Brian (Chloe) Fossati, Carl Fossati, Jonathan (Regina) Hurlburt, grandsons Mason Hurlburt; granddaughter Charlotte Hurlburt, daughter-in-law Erin Reilly (Jason) and granddaughters Rita Dziedzic and Brooke Hurlburt, daughter Brittany (Benjamin) Palinkas and granddaughters Hadley and Kasey, son Christopher Hurlburt and grandchildren. He is also survived by his mother, Anita Hurlburt, siblings, Patricia (Ross) Huntington, (John in Heaven), Richard Hurlburt, William (Becky) Hurlburt, David (Valerie) Hurlburt, James Hurlburt, Nancy (Rob) Hohlfelder and Jennifer (Joseph) Markow. Also many nieces, nephews, (Timmy in Heaven), grand nieces and grand nephews.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at 1p.m., at the United Church of Christ, Congregational, in Cornwall Village, CT. Burial will be private.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Cornwall Volunteer Fire Department, PO BOX 180, West Cornwall, CT 06796.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
Paquito D’Rivera performs at the Mahaiwe in Great Barrington on April 5.
Natalia Bernal is the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center’s education and community engagement manager and is, in her own words, “the one who makes sure that Mahaiwe events are accessible to all.”
The Mahaiwe’s community engagement program is rooted in the belief that the performing arts should be for everyone. “We are committed to establishing and growing partnerships with neighboring community and arts organizations to develop pathways for overcoming social and practical barriers,” Bernal explained. “Immigrants, people of color, communities with low income, those who have traditionally been underserved in the performing arts, should feel welcomed at the Mahaiwe.”
Partnerships with organizations like Volunteers in Medicine Berkshires (VIM), the W.E.B. Du Bois Legacy Committee, and Community Access to the Arts (CATA) have helped bridge that gap. But for the Latinx community, there’s an even more targeted effort: the Spanish-language Community Advisory Network (SCAN).
“Six years ago, we started an advisory group of Spanish speakers in the community,” Bernal said. “They tell us what the community wants to see, how they’d like their culture represented. Today, SCAN has 12 members. We meet four times a year and are in constant communication. It’s because of them that we’ve hosted free Spanish-language film screenings and live performances.”
For Bernal, this work is personal. “When I first moved to the U.S. in 2003, it was because I got a Latin American scholarship to study at Berklee College of Music. That first year, I went home to Uruguay for Christmas and saw Paquito D’Rivera perform at a jazz festival. I was determined to meet him, and I did. Later that year, Paquito came to Berklee and invited me on stage.”
Now, two decades and 16 Grammys later, Paquito D’Rivera is coming to the Mahaiwe on April 5, and there’s a chance history might repeat itself. “He saw a post we made about his concert and commented, ‘Ay, chica, que maravilla, are you gonna sing a song with us?’ I almost died,” Bernal laughed. “I don’t know if it will happen, but it would be a dream.”
About the possibility of a guest appearance by Bernal, D’Rivera said, “Natalia is a very dear, valuable colleague, and jazz is about improvisation, so the surprise factor is always part of the fun here.”
D’Rivera’s concert is just one example of how the Mahaiwe is making world-class performances accessible. “My whole day has been about offering ‘pay what you can’ tickets for this show,” Bernal says. “We also issued a 50% discount to our partners. We work with ESL teachers, public libraries, literacy agencies, anyone who can help us get the word out.”
That kind of grassroots effort has been transformative. “Last year, we screened ‘Florencia en el Amazonas,’ the first opera written in Spanish ever performed at the Met,” Bernal said. “I sat in the Mahaiwe in tears. As someone who loves opera, it was the first time I heard one written in my own language. It was so powerful.”
Natalia Bernal, Mahaiwe’s education and community engagement managerPhoto by Martin Cohen
For Bernal, it all comes back to representation, on stage and in the audience. “My son is eight. I bring him to everything I can. Spanish shouldn’t just be something that happens at the dinner table. It should be in the world, in all these shapes and forms.”
And that’s what SCAN is helping build: a future where Latinx voices aren’t just included, they are central. “Our SCAN advisors are volunteers, cultural ambassadors,” Bernal said. “They help us distribute surveys, talk to the audience, and strengthen the community. Nobody should feel alone. Everybody should feel like they belong here.”
Education and outreach are central to D’Rivera’s work as well. He said, “It is an important part of our mission to plant and nurture the seed of quality music in our communities.” He continued to say, “Using our visibility and influence in favor of justice is always a very effective vehicle in denouncing violations of human rights around the world.”
This shared mission of education and social justice extends beyond the Mahaiwe. “We are one of the few arts organizations in a monthly meeting with BASIC (Berkshire Alliance for Immigrant Services). We have direct ties to the Berkshire Immigrant Center, VIM, and others so that we are well-informed and ready to serve,” said Bernal.
That commitment to community, culture, and access is why Bernal’s dream panel—Women in the Music Business—would feature Paquito’s wife and longtime manager, Brenda Feliciano. “She’s a tower of power. She’s been managing his career for at least 45 years. If I could organize an event one day, she would be the cherry on the cake.”
Until then, Bernal will keep doing what she does best: making sure the Mahaiwe is a place where everyone, regardless of language, income, or background, feels at home. And maybe, just maybe, she’ll find herself back on stage with Paquito D’Rivera, just like that first time, all those years ago.
For more info and tickets to Paquito D’Rivera, visit mahaiwe.org
There is magic in a home filled with the things we love, and Mary Randolph Carter, affectionately known as “Carter,” has spent a lifetime embracing that magic. Her latest book, “Live with the Things You Love … and You’ll Live Happily Ever After,” is about storytelling, joy, and honoring life’s poetry through the objects we keep.
“This is my tenth book,” Carter said. “At the root of each is my love of collecting, the thrill of the hunt, and living surrounded by things that conjure up family, friends, and memories.”
The creative director at Ralph Lauren for almost four decades, Carter began writing this book during the pandemic, a time of rediscovering comfort. “I found more time to appreciate those special things that give our homes warmth and connection.” Working with Ralph Lauren, she learned that the best spaces tell a personal story. “His desk was filled with toy cars, miniature shoes, superheroes, English dandies, cowboys on horseback. The walls? A gallery of his children’s paintings, iconic photos of Frank Sinatra and Gary Cooper. Everything told a story.”
Carter acknowledges how homes can become overwhelmed with stuff but sees a difference between clutter and collection. “To live happily, create environments that inspire and comfort rather than encumber you! Look around and ask, ‘What is truly meaningful? What makes you smile? What recalls the people and places you cherish?’” Then, she added, “weed out the rest with discipline and courage!”
Provided
Each home in Carter’s book reflects its inhabitant’s spirit. “The first time I walked into Bethann Hardison’s apartment, I knew right away how authentic it was to who she is.” Hardison’s walls are lined with artwork from friends Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Haitian paintings, testaments to a life well lived. “Though her mantra is, ‘the lighter the load, the freer the journey,’ she also admits some things ‘delight your environment’ and can’t be parted with. Amen to that!”
Having survived two childhood fires, Carter deeply understands what truly matters. “It’s not the things, but the people and memories they evoke.” She loves her collections, but they don’t possess her. “They make me happy, but they do not define me.”
She delights in how people showcase treasures. Paula Grief, for instance, lives in a ten-foot-wide house and had to part with many books. “She tucks the ones she can’t live without through the rungs of her staircase. I love that ingenuity!”
When asked about her most cherished possession, Carter tells a story of loss and serendipity. A childhood portrait of her in a blue velvet dress was lost in a fire. “Years later, the artist’s daughter found another version. Now, it hangs in our apartment, surrounded by flea market art and one of my favorite saints, Our Lady of Guadalupe.”
Adding to the cozy feeling of this book, Carter’s son, Carter Berg, took the photographs, and her sister, Cary, contributed the illustrations. “Cary once stayed in our apartment and painted a dozen objects from our cluttered kitchen. I hung them immediately. When I started this book, I knew she had to capture my favorite objects.”
Four of the featured homes are local to the Northwest Corner, including Carter’s in Millerton, Joan Osofsky’s in Lakeville, Robin Bell’s in Salisbury, and Paula Grief’s in Hudson. They all gathered at the White Hart/Oblong Speaker Series on March 27.
After perusing the richly colored pages of this book, you may feel tempted to shop. “You don’t need money to create a meaningful home,” Carter insisted. “Some of my favorite paintings cost no more than $10 or $25. Value is personal. It’s not about provenance but the story an object tells you or the one you make up.”
Carter’s advice? “Fall in love with the wackiest thing. Surround yourself with what matters, and you’ll live happily ever after.”