The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News will honor the Harney family at a Jubilee Country Luncheon on Sunday, Oct. 6. From left, Elyse Harney Morris, Elyse Harney and Jubilee Chair Matthew Patrick Smyth.
The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News will present the inaugural Robert & Mary Lou Estabrook Community Leadership Award, with gratitude and appreciation, to the Harney family at a Jubilee Country Luncheon on Sunday, Oct. 6 at the Salisbury Town Grove.
The Harneys are champions of local institutions, not just as employers and businesspeople, but as active and prominent supporters of a wide range of community organizations that provide essential services throughout the region.
When informed about her family receiving the award, Elyse Harney shared these thoughts: “To receive the Estabrook Community Leadership Award from The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News is a profound honor for my family. Having known Bob and Mary Lou and their dedicated devotion to this community and to making dependable news service a part of the community, we hope this will offer encouragement to all residents to continue this level of excellence. We still depend on volunteers for essential services: fire, ambulance, nursing, library and schools to name just a few. I have seen these and many other organizations that make life here so special grow through the time and talent our volunteers are able to offer. We welcome our new residents and urge them to share the joy of helping neighbors.”
Jubilee chair, Matthew Patrick Smyth, added: “Like many of us who have made this corner of Connecticut and New York their home, my first contact here was Elyse Harney. Through Elyse and her family, I was welcomed and quickly felt connected to the community. I observed firsthand how the Harneys contribute and give back to this area with unwavering kindness, commitment, and support. I invite you all to join The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News in celebrating their contributions.”
James Clark, the publisher of The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News, said: “In creating the award, we honor the community spirit of Mary Lou and Robert Estabrook. During their tenure, the newspapers flourished, but they knew that independent, quality news was not the only way to serve the community. We continue today in the standard they set for community leadership.”
For more information, contact jubilee@lakevillejournal.com.
Indian Mountain School is located in Lakeville.
LAKEVILLE — Indian Mountain School cancelled classes on Tuesday, Jan. 20 due to an uptick in seasonal illness, according to a Monday evening announcement by Kyle Halloran, Assistant Head of School for Student Life.
According to the email, the decision was made to give students and faculty alike time to recover and rest. Halloran noted that the spike appears to be on trend with general virus rates in the state.
During a follow up call with The Lakeville Journal on Tuesday morning, Halloran said that the infections appeared to stem from a number of seasonal illnesses rather than one specific culprit, such as the flu.
He confirmed that classes are planned to resume Wednesday morning, Jan. 21.
The Region One boys basketball team huddles up during a break in the game against Northwestern Thursday, Jan. 15.
Middle school basketball players battled on the courts of Northwestern Regional High School in Winsted Thursday, Jan. 15. Region One’s boys and girls teams took on Region Seven in side-by-side games. Region One’s team includes players from Cornwall, Falls Village, North Canaan, Salisbury and Sharon. Region Seven includes Barkhamsted, Colebrook, New Hartford and Norfolk.
The boys game was won by Region One 62-41. The girls game was won by Northwestern 27-14.
Athletes in both games played with intensity and passion.
The Region One middle school girls basketball team played Northwestern Jan. 15.Photo by Riley Klein
Canon Petero Sabune addresses the congregation at St. John’s Episcopal Church Sunday, Jan. 18.
SALISBURY — St. John’s Episcopal Church marked the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend by welcoming Canon Petero Sabune for a special service on Sunday, Jan. 18, followed by a visit to Salisbury School the next day.
King’s legacy and faith were central themes throughout the service. The first reading featured an excerpt from King’s final book, “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?” including the oft-quoted passage: "Returning violence for violence multiples violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
In his sermon, Sabune said that many accounts of King’s life and influence often “forget about his faith and convictions.”
“He was a baptized disciple of Jesus Christ,” Sabune said.
After the service, Sabune was asked about ongoing protests and controversy in Minneapolis. He noted that King’s philosophy of nonviolent resistance was shaped by Mahatma Gandhi, who in turn drew inspiration from the writings of Henry David Thoreau.
Sabune said civil rights workers and protestors in the 1950s and 1960s underwent formal training in nonviolence. “They taught people how to get hit and not respond, what [civil rights figure and congressman] John Lewis called ‘good trouble,’” he said.
Reflecting on more recent events, Sabune said that when considering the circumstances that led to the death of Renee Good at the hands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Jonathan Ross, “I feel the pain, not just for Renee, but for Officer Ross.”
Music also played a prominent role in the service. The hymns were drawn from “Lift Every Voice and Sing II: An African-American Hymnal.” Among them was “Precious Lord,” which King requested be sung the night before his death.
“Sing ‘Precious Lord’ and sing it pretty,” King told a follower.
Sabune’s visit to Salisbury followed a long journey that began with a bus ride from Tucson, Arizona, to Phoenix on Saturday, Jan. 17, followed by an overnight flight. The Rev. Johan Johnson, priest-in-charge at St. John’s and chaplain at Salisbury School, picked him up at 7 a.m. Sunday.
The two men have known each other for so long they cannot recall exactly where or when they first met. During an interview, Sabune paused to greet Johnson’s youngest daughter, whom he baptized.
As he headed toward the reception, where parishioners were waiting to greet him, Sabune was asked one final question:
“You going to get a nap in today?”
“Yes!” he said emphatically over his shoulder as he hurried up the aisle.
CORNWALL — A public hearing was held Tuesday, Jan. 13, to consider the creation of the West Cornwall General Business (WCBG) district.
The proposed zoning text amendment was submitted to the Planning and Zoning Commission in response to longstanding difficulties faced by West Cornwall business owners seeking to modify nonconforming buildings that do not meet current zoning requirements.
The amendment would establish the WCBG district as a separate zone, distinct from the existing business district in Cornwall Bridge. Within the new district, applicants are seeking to reduce the minimum lot size from one acre to 10,000 square feet, narrow the minimum lot width from 100 feet to 50 feet, and eliminate minimum front, side and rear setback requirements.
Most buildings in the area predate modern zoning regulations and were constructed directly on property lines, planning consultant Martin Connor told the commission on behalf of the applicants, West Cornwall Development Group LLC.
As a result of their nonconforming status, Connor said, many property owners have been unable to make even modest improvements. He cited the Pink House as an example, noting that its owners currently store buckets and mops outdoors because they are not permitted to construct a small exterior storage closet behind the building.
Public comment was mixed, with residents voicing both concern and support. Some speakers raised questions about safety and the potential impacts of the proposed changes, while others said the amendment would help bring long-standing nonconforming properties into compliance and create a more business-friendly environment. One resident asked the commission to allow additional time to review the application.
First Selectman Gordon Ridgway spoke in favor of the proposal, saying the current zoning framework “makes it very hard for any business to expand.” He added, “Having large amounts of property being zoned as nonconforming is bad planning, especially as we have for years tried to revive our business centers.”
After closing the public hearing, the commission discussed the proposal during its regular meeting and considered modifications before voting.
Commissioners focused their discussion on the proposed setback distances, citing fire safety concerns tied to the village’s historic character and the age of many buildings.
“Most of these buildings are old. They’re not built with fire blocking,” said Christine Gray, a commission member.
James LaPorta, also a commission member, raised similar concerns about safety and setbacks. “To have a zero side setback, I think, is asking for trouble in the long run. I think five [feet] would be fine.”
Commissioners said eliminating side setbacks entirely could create long-term safety risks and discussed whether a modest buffer would better balance flexibility for property owners with public safety considerations.
Commissioners also emphasized that any future applications within the district would still require review and approval by the Planning and Zoning Commission, as well as other relevant boards, including the Inland Wetlands & Watercourses Agency, the fire marshal and the Torrington Area Health District.
Chair Anna Timell moved to approve the application with a modification setting the side and rear setbacks at five feet, while reducing the front setback to zero feet. She cited the town’s Plan of Conservation and Development, which calls for reviewing and revising zoning regulations in business zones.
The motion passed unanimously.
Moving company
Commissioners also approved a site plan application for Karls on Wheels, a moving company proposing to locate at 26 Kent Road.
The plan includes no change to the footprint and no change in use, and does not permit self-storage on the site.
The application was approved unanimously.
