NORTH CANAAN — A sold-out crowd dressed to the nines attended a Gratitude Gala at the Colonial Theatre on Saturday, April 27 hosted by the Housatonic Youth Service Bureau (HYSB) honoring Lisa Carter, who is retiring next month as superintendent of the Region One school district.
During the second annual event, which featured cocktails and conversation, live and silent auctions and dinner and dancing, Carter was awarded the Nancy Bird and Linda Sloane Gratitude Award, named to honor two esteemed past board chairs.
Ashley Adkins, HYSB’s director of donor engagement, noted that the award, which was introduced during last year’s inaugural event, “profoundly expresses our commitment to honor those who exemplify our mission, vision and values…and Lisa certainly does all that.”
Taylor Rousseau, director of clinical services and programs for HYSB, with her parents, Dawn and Ron Rousseau.Debra A. Aleksinas
In announcing this year’s award recipient, the HYSB noted, “Lisa’s transformative leadership has shaped the educational landscape of our community, leaving a lasting impact on students and families alike.”
The Gratitude Award, which honors “those who have gone above and beyond in nurturing the well- being and potential of our youth,” according to HYSB, came as quite a surprise, said Carter, a former board member.
“I was so overwhelmed when I got the call from Kelly,” she said, referring to HYSB Executive Director Kelly Parker.
“I’ve worked with them in some capacity since I was a high school teacher and got to know the organization over time. They really care about our students and our district and they are a valuable part of our community.”
As she spoke, a steady stream of folks stopped by to offer congratulations and wish her well in her future endeavors.
Betsy Trotta and Alex Duncan of Salisbury check out the items up for auction.Debra A. Aleksinas
Although Carter is retiring from Region One, she said she will be taking on the role of Assistant Executive Director at EdAdvance in Litchfield. “I am looking forward to it. It will be a full-time commitment but will not demand as much of my time.”
Parker, who greeted guests as they entered the historic theater’s lobby via the red carpet, noted that all proceeds benefit HYSB’s clinical programs and services supporting the community’s youth and families.
“This is our biggest fundraiser of the year,” she explained, and all proceeds benefit HYSB’s clinical programs and services supporting the community’s youth and families.
Debra A. Aleksinas
HYSB staff, from left, Kelly Parker, Lynn Nichols, Jaimie Sadeh, Scott Lynch (volunteer), Taylor Rousseau, Marissa Kent and Shanet Baker.
A blue SUV remains in a ditch after an early-morning crash along Segar Mountain Road in Kent May 27.
The driver was transported to Danbury Hospital with minor injuries, according to police.
The damage to a utility pole forced crews to shut down parts of the road and reduce traffic to a single lane throughout the day. First Selectman Eric Epstein announced that traffic would be impacted as utility companies make repairs. Motorists were advised to avoid the area until the work is complete.
As of 2 p.m., traffic at the scene was reduced to alternating single lane travel. Employees from Eversource Energy, Aquarion Water Company and the state Department of Transportation were at the site making repairs to the utility pole and wiring. They have yet to provide an estimate for when the repairs will finish.
The car was still in the ditch as of mid-afternoon, officials on the scene said.
In an email to Kent residents, which was sent at approximately 12:40 p.m., Epstein reported that a water line connected to one residence in the area was also damaged, but clarified that it was not the line supplying the town.
Repair crews respond to an early-morning crash along Segar Mountain Road in Kent that damaged a utility pole and water line. Ruth Epstein
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Filmmaker Yonah Sadeh on a shoot last year in New York City.
It is an exciting opportunity for Sadeh, who has built his own business, Sadeh Studios, by working with small area businesses and nonprofits, “helping to tell their stories through film,” he said.
Some of his projects have included projects for local affordable housing organizations and area nonprofits such as Berkshire Busk, Berkshares, Naturalis Healing, local after-school programs and the Falls Village Fire Department. Current projects are for Berkshire Mountain Bakery and a documentary about Great Barrington’s revitalization in the 1990s.
Sadeh discovered early in life that he wanted to make films and began to develop his process and distinct style.
“It started with puppet shows and musical performances, and then, when I was around 12, a family friend showed me how to use my family’s computer to record and edit short homemade videos using iMovie. From that point on, it was pretty much all movies. I would set up my mom’s computer on a stack of books and record with the webcam.”
An early influence was Wes Anderson’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” which, “inspired my Claymation videos when I was 10 and remains one of my favorite films.”
He said getting his first camera made a big difference in his filmmaking.
“I was no longer stuck filming wherever I could set up the laptop. I could move with the camera and be more intentional about how things looked.”
Finding some of the technical aspects challenging, he watched YouTube to learn.
“I would imagine these big scenes, like fight sequences with lighting and effects, and then have to figure out how to actually make them. That process pushed me to learn. I spent a lot of time watching people like Casey Neistat, Film Riot and Corridor Digital, and just trying things out.”
Knowing the path he wanted to take, he pursued his high school education at Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington, MA. The school has since relocated to Barrytown, New York.
“Simon’s Rock was not a film school in a traditional sense, but it had incredible faculty that I was able to work with one-on-one throughout my years there,” he said. “It gave me the flexibility and time to make films both in and outside of class, and to start my production business while still in school.”
He was able to take college-level film courses while still in high school.
“It seemed like the perfect opportunity. I loved it so much that I stayed at Simon’s Rock after graduating from the academy for my bachelor’s degree.”
Filmmaker Yonah Sadeh at work. Lisa Volmer
After graduating, he focused full time on his freelance business.
“Most of my professional work is in documentary, where I am a one-man crew overseeing every aspect of the process, from meeting with clients to develop the idea to planning, filming and editing it all together. I love working in this way, with my hands in every part of the project.”
In addition to documentaries, he also works on narrative films.
“The script I am working on now is set over the summer solstice and follows two kids over a short but formative period of time. I feel like this idea of land and place, and the passing of time, is a pretty consistent theme in all of my work, both narrative and documentary.”
Narrative films involve working with a crew, and he said writing and directing have presented different challenges.
“By the time I get to production, I’ve usually been sitting with the story for a while and have a pretty clear picture of how I want each scene to feel. So a lot of directing is about communicating that vision to the actors and crew. It can definitely be stressful, especially with the pressure of being on set. But I’ve been lucky to work with people I really trust and enjoy collaborating with, which makes a big difference.”
The finished film, Sadeh said, “becomes something built by everyone involved.”
Eager to share his love of filmmaking, Sadeh recently took on the role of curator of the VideoWall at the Hunt Library in Falls Village.
“I would love the VideoWall to become a place that showcases the work of local filmmakers, and I hope that other creatives in the area will submit their work to be shown.”
Reflecting on his chosen path, Sadeh said, “I feel really excited and creatively fulfilled to be doing the work I love in the place I grew up.”
Learn more at sadehstudios.com
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