Housatonic Valley FFA student speakers contend at district-wide competition

Housatonic Valley FFA student speakers contend at district-wide competition

Housatonic Valley FFA’s Riley Mahaffey placed second in the Extemporaneous Public Speaking event March 27.

Patrick L. Sullivan

FALLS VILLAGE — On Thursday, March 27, the Housatonic Valley FFA hosted the Connecticut FFA District 1 Public Speaking Competition.

Students from five area FFA chapters — Shepaug, Northwestern, Wamogo, Woodbury and Housatonic Valley — participated in three different events.

The first of the three events is creed speaking, a competition where freshmen memorise and recite the FFA Creed written by E.M. Tiffany in 1928.

Prepared public speaking is the second competition, in which participants write and deliver a six to eight minute speech about the agricultural topic of their choice.

Those competing in extemporaneous public speaking have 30 minutes to draw a topic, research, prepare and deliver a three to five minute speech.

Housatonic’sRiley Mahaffey finished second and Byron Bell took third place in extemporaneous public speaking. Zayre Traill was the runner-up in FFA Creed, and Madison Gulatta took first place in prepared public speaking.

Mahaffey, a junior, is a two-time national public speaker, winning creed speaking at the state FFA convention her freshman year and prepared public speaking at the state level her sophomore year. Her second-place finish in extemporaneous public speaking at the district level last week secured her spot in this year’s state competition, and she plans to compete at the national level again next fall.

Hannah Johnson is Housatonic Valley FFA’s reporter.

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