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Goshen, Torrington to join 63rd district

State Rep. John Rigby (R-63) of Colebrook will be running for re-election to a newly consolidated 63rd district this year, due to changes agreed upon by the state’s Reapportionment Commission.Under newly drawn borders, the number of towns in the 63rd will be reduced from seven to four. The district currently includes Barkhamsted, Canaan, Colebrook, Hartland, Norfolk, North Canaan (including Falls Village) and Winchester. Starting with the next term, the district will combine Colebrook and Winchester with portions of Goshen and Torrington.In a phone interview Tuesday, Rigby reasoned that the newly drawn district solves problems for constituents in some small communities, like Barkhamsted, which were formerly split up into two districts, making voting confusing for residents.“It will definitely be an easier district to manage, because it’s going from a big chunk of Northwest Connecticut down to a size that’s much more accessible,” Rigby said. “I think it will be easier to serve these towns from a logistics standpoint. It is almost 50 minutes from my house to Falls Village.”Rigby said he was disappointed to lose Barkhamsted, where he grew up, but he said he is glad the town will now be covered by one district, the 62nd, which will also include Hartland, New Hartford and Granby.“I’ve enjoyed representing Falls Village and Canaan very much but I understand census changes require changes in the district,” he said.A two-term representative who was elected after a scandal forced Democrat George Wilber to resign in 2008, Rigby has spent much of his time out of the district during the most recent legislative break, working for South Carolina-based Stephens Aviation. He spent a portion of his first term working for a defense contractor in Afghanistan, also in the field of aviation. He said he will be back home in Colebrook for this year’s short legislative term, which begins Feb. 8 and runs through May 9.Rigby said one of the adjustments he’ll have to make with the newly redrawn legislative districts is campaigning in towns where residents don’t know him.“I will have to campaign from scratch in Goshen. It will be like running for the first time, going door-to-door,” he said.Rigby said he expects issues related to labor and the business community to come up during the upcoming term and that he will continue to focus efforts on bringing businesses to Connecticut and keeping them here.“I don’t want to do anything that would be considered anti-business or increase the cost of operating in Connecticut,” he said. “I know there will be some issues that will come before the labor committee that will have an effect on the business community.”During a short legislative term, all legislation must be passed through committee before making it to the floor of the General Assembly, which helps streamline the process, Rigby noted. He said minority Republicans will be keeping an eye on the budget to make sure money is spent wisely.“We’re curious to see how the budget numbers come out as we go into the session and what that will mean for the budget and finance committees,” he said. “We’ll be watching the budget very carefully.”Rigby said he also expects to see proposed legislation come up regarding Sunday sales of alcohol and a possible bear-hunting season in Connecticut. He wasn’t ready to give his final decision on either idea and that he hopes to hear what local leaders have to say.“I think what I’ll be doing in the spring is trying to visit Torrington and Goshen and get a feel for what their issues are,” Rigby said. “I’ve met a lot of the local leaders through town government organizations. It will be good to meet with local officials to see what their concerns are.”

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Legal Notices - July 9, 2026

Legal Notices - July 9, 2026

Legal Notice

BOND RESOLUTION DATED JUNE 15, 2026 OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE WEBUTUCK CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT AUTHORIZING NOT TO EXCEED $429,327 AGGREGATE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS AND/OR INSTALLMENT PURCHASE CONTRACTS TO FINANCE THE ACQUISITION OF A SCHOOL BUSES AND VEHICLES AT AN AGGREGATE ESTIMATED MAXIMUM COST OF$429,327, LEVY OF TAX IN ANNUAL INSTALLMENTS IN PAYMENT THEREOF TAKING INTO ACCOUNT STATE-AID, THE EXPENDITURE OF SUCH SUM FOR SUCH PURPOSE, AND DETERMINING OTHER MATTERS IN CONNECTION THERE-WITH.

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In December 2024, the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau officially established the Standard of Identity for American Single Malt Whisky. It was the first new classification in more than half a century, creating new possibilities for American distillers. One of the distilleries taking advantage of this new landscape is Wassaic’s Tenmile Distillery. It is well positioned to make history because Tenmile has always honored traditional whiskey-making practices.

Single malts are often associated with Scotch whisky. Perhaps that’s why, years before the new standard was adopted, Tenmile hired Shane Fraser, a Scottish master distiller with 30 years of experience at some of Scotland’s most prestigious distilleries. Fraser began designing the distillery from the ground up. Alongside owner and general manager Joel LeVangia, he emphasized time-honored traditions, favoring hands-on craftsmanship over the increasingly automated methods used by larger producers. When it comes to making the best whisky possible, Tenmile believes in learning from the past. That philosophy extends beyond the distilling process.

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The magic of Belinda Sinclair

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Belinda Sinclair

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“Nixon in China” comes to Tanglewood

“Nixon in China” comes to Tanglewood

Renée Fleming, Andris Nelsons and Thomas Hampson.

Hilary Scott

On Friday, July 17 at 8 p.m. in the Koussevitzky Music Shed at Tanglewood, two of the greatest American voices of their generation, soprano Renée Fleming and baritone Thomas Hampson, join Music Director Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony Orchestra in a performance of excerpts from John Adams’ groundbreaking opera “Nixon in China.” The piece, performed earlier this year in Boston and at Carnegie Hall in New York City, is a highlight of a program that also includes “Meditations on Grace” (2024) by BSO Composer Chair Carlos Simon, and the melodic and technically demanding Violin Concerto by Samuel Barber.

Fleming is internationally celebrated for her vocal and dramatic artistry, as well as for her advocacy for the powerful impact of the creative arts in health. Hampson has long been recognized as one of the most innovative musicians of our time and has received countless international honors for his singular artistry and cultural leadership. Both performed in “Nixon in China” earlier this year at the Paris Opera under the baton of Kent Nagano.

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Local playwright revisits Revolutionary moment in “Rebel Town”

The cast and crew of “Rebeltown: The Musical.”

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John Alan Segalla was working in Boston a few years ago, giving historic tours at the site of the Boston Tea Party. Now, as America celebrates 250 years as a nation, the Canaan native is about to debut a new version of his original musical, “Rebel Town,” inspired largely by the Boston Tea Party, the protest that helped launch the American Revolution.

“It wasn’t until I got to Boston and learned the Tea Party story that I fell in love with this moment in history, and I saw the story as wildly compelling and very important, and really a story that was very misunderstood, mistaught in schools,” Segalla said at a recent rehearsal in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, ahead of the show’s July 10 opening.

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An invitation to paint a community mural in Torrington

Community mural design by Macayla Muzzulin will be painted by volunteers on July 11 in Franklin Plaza in Torrington.

Provided

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, Five Points Arts in Torrington will host a community mural project celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary. Volunteers of every age and artistic ability are invited to help paint a 20-by-6-foot mural designed by artist Macayla Muzzulin. The mural will be completed in one day, transformed from a numbered outline into a permanent public artwork along the river in downtown Torrington.

“We firmly believe art is for everyone,” said Five Points founder and executive director, Judith McElhone. “It’s so great to be able to do this with such talent, and with Launchpad artists, volunteers and staff there to help.”

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