Honoring those who gave everything

WINSTED — While Memorial Day parades in surrounding towns were canceled on Monday, May 30, due to a heavy rain storm, Winsted parade organizer and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 296 Commander Neil Hunt said canceling the parade was never in his mind.“We would have had it in the rain anyway,” Hunt said. “We will never cancel the parade. They never canceled any wars for rain.”By the time the parade kicked off in the early afternoon, the rain had subsided.Veterans, military groups and civic groups marched down Main Street to honor and remember veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice.Hunt served in the Navy during the Vietnam War starting in 1966.“There are a lot of veterans out there,” Hunt said. “If it wasn’t for them, we would not be free to do what we do. I would like people to remember that these young men and women are over there fighting for the country that they love and the principles that they believe in. It is a hard job being away from loved ones and doing whatever they must in a land where they may get shot or blown up at any moment. Many of them come home with scars that they must live with for the rest of their lives, be it mental or physical. They all gave something and some gave all.”In a statement released Monday, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy saluted fallen soldiers and, in accordance with the U.S. Flag Code, directed flags to be flown at half staff from sunrise until noon on Memorial Day.“While over the years, Memorial Day has come to mean the unofficial start of summer, it’s important to reflect upon the true meaning of the day — honoring the brave men and women who have given their lives in service to our country,” the governor said. “Over the past decade in Connecticut, we have lost 56 soldiers in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They join the thousands of heroes who, over the course of history, have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our Constitution and the values we hold dear. It’s incumbent upon all of us to honor their legacy and thank them for their service.”

Latest News

A scenic 32-mile loop through Litchfield County

Whenever I need to get a quick but scenic bicycle ride but don’t have time to organize a group ride that involves driving to a meeting point, I just turn right out of my driveway. That begins a 32-mile loop through some of the prettiest scenery in northern Litchfield County.

I ride south on Undermountain Road (Route 41 South) into Salisbury and turn right on Main Street (Route 44 West). If I’m meeting friends, we gather at the parking area on the west side of Salisbury Town Hall where parking is never a problem.

Keep ReadingShow less
Biking Ancramdale to Copake

This is a lovely ride that loops from Ancramdale north to Copake and back. At just over 23 miles and about 1,300 feet of elevation gain, it’s a perfect route for intermediate recreational riders and takes about two hours to complete. It’s entirely on quiet roads with little traffic, winding through rolling hills, open countryside, picturesque farms and several lakes.

Along the way, you’ll pass a couple of farmstands that are worth a quick visit. There is only one hill that might be described as steep, but it is quite short — probably less than a quarter-mile.

Keep ReadingShow less
Taking on Tanglewood

Aerial view of The Shed at Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass.

Provided

Now is the perfect time to plan ahead for symphonic music this summer at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts. Here are a few highlights from the classical programming.

Saturday, July 5: Shed Opening Night at 8 p.m. Andris Nelsons conducts the Boston Symphony Orchestra as Daniil Trifonov plays piano in an All-Rachmaninoff program. The Piano Concerto No. 3 was completed in 1909 and was written specifically to be debuted in the composer’s American tour, at another time of unrest and upheaval in Russia. Trifonev is well-equipped to take on what is considered among the most technically difficult piano pieces. This program also includes Symphonic Dances, a work encapsulating many ideas and much nostalgia.

Keep ReadingShow less
James H. Fox

SHARON — James H. Fox, resident of Sharon, passed away on May 30, 2025, at Vassar Brothers Hospital.

Born in New York, New York, to Herbert Fox and Margaret Moser, James grew up in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. He spent his summers in Gaylordsville, Connecticut, where he developed a deep connection to the community.

Keep ReadingShow less