Thank you!
Your support is sustaining the future of local news in our communities.

Gas prices affect this year's library raffle


 


 

KENT — Everyone seems to be concerned about skyrocketing gas prices these days. The Kent Memorial Library appears to have a solution, at least for one lucky person.

The library launched its annual car raffle five years ago, with all the proceeds going to the library’s operating budget. Last year, a 2007 Mini Cooper was raffled, and netted $34,000.

Vintage cars including a 1953 MG, a 1931 Chevy Coupe and a 1967 XK-E Jaguar, have been raffled in other years.

This year, though, at a time when there is concern about global warming and gas prices, the Car Raffle Committee wanted to do something different. So the library will offer a red 2008 Toyota Prius this year. The Prius is a hybrid car with an estimated combined city/highway consumption of 46 miles per gallon. The car also generates 70 percent fewer smog-forming emissions than the average new car.

"I feel very positive about this," said Rudy Molho, one of the members of the committee. "I think and hope that, with this car, we will outsell the previous years’ raffles because of the attraction of the great gas mileage and the fact that the car is ‘green.’ "

The vehicle arrived in Kent from Dowling Toyota of Litchfield last week. It’s a five-passenger, four-door hatchback that teams a four-cylinder engine with a battery-powered electric motor for 110 horsepower. Add-ons include an AM/FM radio and CD player with six speakers, a Smart Key System and a backup camera.

A limit of 5,000 tickets will be sold for $20 each. They can be purchased at the library and at several businesses in town. The car will be displayed outside the library near the book sale almost every weekend during the summer, starting on Memorial Day weekend.

The committee will also be taking the Prius to several events around Litchfield County during the summer. The drawing takes place on Sunday, Oct. 26. For more information, call Kent Memorial Library at 860-927-4697 or Rudy Molo at 860-927-4969.

Latest News

Let's Hear It - September 17, 2026

Let's Hear It - September 17, 2026

This Week

As summer comes to an end and the days begin to get a little cooler, signs of fall are starting to appear all around us. The leaves are beginning to change, the evenings are getting shorter, and a new season of activities and traditions is just around the corner.

Keep ReadingShow less

$5,000

$5,000

Letters to the Editor - September 17, 2026

Letters to the Editor - September 17, 2026

Put $1M to work for housing affordability

If I had $1 million to improve housing affordability in Litchfield County, I would create a revolving Housing Opportunity Fund. Instead of spending the entire amount on one or two homes, I would use it to help local housing trusts acquire land or properties, provide down-payment assistance for qualified buyers, convert appropriate existing buildings into housing, and help cover some of the upfront costs that can prevent good housing projects from ever getting started.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

Turning Back the Pages - September 17, 2026

125 years ago — September 1901

LIME ROCK — Matthew Patterson recently received a silver medal from the Canadian government as a token of his services during the Fenian raid in ‘71. The medal is suitably inscribed and is considerably heavier than a silver dollar. It depends from a silk tri-color and pin, and altogether makes a very neat souvenir.

Keep ReadingShow less
Voices from our community about the housing we need for a healthy, vibrant future

Jordan Seibert and Riley Bossi

Shelly Dinelle

There’s a reason people say, “It takes a village to raise a child.” To thrive, a child needs a safe, stable place to call home. That’s the bedrock for health, dignity, and the chance to build a bright future. What kind of “village” does it take to create these homes?

Motivated by compassion and a drive to make housing more accessible, it took the Foundation for Norfolk Living years of hard work to create ten affordable homes at Haystack Woods. The “village” turned out to be a patchwork of support that included financial help from the DOH, a construction mortgage through Northwest Community Bank, and a Community Development Block Grant to purchase the property and pay for the road and infrastructure. The result? Two- and three-bedroom homes reserved for first-time homebuyers earning 60-80% of Litchfield County’s median income, and selling for $159,000 to $261,000. The condominium homes are deed-restricted and net-zero thanks to energy-efficient construction, solar panels, and battery storage, meaning the homebuyers will have no energy costs! Curious? Just Google “Haystack Woods” to learn more. It’s a remarkable accomplishment.

Keep ReadingShow less
Selectmen back $113,000 request for new ambulance

FALLS VILLAGE — The Board of Selectmen approved a request from the Fire Commission for $113,000 toward a new ambulance scheduled for delivery in November.

The selectmen acted during their regular monthly meeting Monday, Sept. 14.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.