Hundreds gather at ‘No Kings’ political protests

A huge crowd with custom signs were present in Salisbury Saturday, June 14, for the “No Kings” protest.
Tom Zetterstrom

A huge crowd with custom signs were present in Salisbury Saturday, June 14, for the “No Kings” protest.
The energized crowds, the custom signs and the constant show of support from passersby honking their horns reflected what many in the Northwest Corner want for this country — “No Kings.”
Such was the strong sentiment at rallies in Cornwall, Kent and Salisbury that mirrored the hundreds held across the country Saturday, June 14, to protest President Donald Trump’s policies and decrees.
The triangle at the junction of routes 7 and 4 in Cornwall Bridge was filled with more than 300 people, all there to express their fears about what direction the country is headed.
In Cornwall, Doug Craig, holding a huge sign of a crown being slashed, said he’s mainly concerned that Trump’s big bill “has too many hidden things.” Paul Bacsik of Sharon said, “We need co-branches of government, not one.”
Lori Welles of Cornwall believes, “There are so many things going on that people are in doubt about what is true. The Constitution is fundamental to protecting our society. The administration is lacking in humanity.”

David Stoneback was appalled that those who broke into the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, are being pardoned.
Ed Greene said his big concerns are how Trump is undermining the government and his lack of support for those who need help. “It’s an assault on all our programs.” His wife, Dinny Greene, added, “He’s dismantling the fabric of our society.”
Dick Sears, who was one of the organizers of the rally, walked along the edge of the grassy area chanting “Show me what democracy looks like” and later encouraged the crowd to answer “This is what democracy looks like.”
In Salisbury, hundreds gathered where Route 44 meets Route 41. Tom Zetterstrom described the scene: “A mosaic of all signs would have illustrated a broad spectrum of grievances appropriate for a Smithsonian archive about the waning days of our democracy.”
In Kent, an “Unhappy Birthday Party” was sponsored as part of the rally by the Democratic Town Committee on the Golden Falcon lot in the center of town. Participants lined Route 7 with similar signs to the other demonstrations.
Kent DTC chairman Patricia Oris energized the assembly, saying due process is the cornerstone of our democracy. She went though a litany of actions that have been taken under this administration, starting off each with the words, “How dare they” and the audience repeating the phrase. Some of these included the criminalizing abortion, the treatment of State Sen. Alex Padilla and a budget that rewards billionaires and takes food out of the mouths of children.
She mentioned the $40 million spent that day “to feed his ego on a ridiculous parade. I’m here to say we’re the true Americans. We are the patriots. We’re putting our feet down and saying enough is enough. We will survive. The power of the people is unbeatable. We are Americans and Americans bow to no king.”

Carolyn Casey of Kent said she is afraid Trump will declare martial law, suspend habeas corpus and arrest everyone. Amanda Cernitz of Kent said Trump lied when he said he’d uphold the Constitution.
Lianna Gantt led the group in an “Unhappy Birthday Song” to Trump.
“Unhappy birthday to Trump,
The guy we want to dump.
He tramples on the Constitution,
What a mean-hearted grump!”
The HVRHS boys rejoice around Jackson McAvoy after he scored the game-winning goal against Shepaug with just two minutes left to play.
WASHINGTON — Housatonic Valley Regional High School’s boys varsity soccer team advanced to the Berkshire League tournament final after a 1-0 win over Shepaug Valley High School in the semifinal game on Friday, Oct. 24.
Jackson McAvoy scored the game-winning goal with just two minutes remaining.
The victory marked HVRHS boys soccer’s first victory over Shepaug since 2020.
“Finally,” said HVRHS Coach Adolfo Portillo after the game.
HVRHS will play top-ranked Nonnewaug High School in the BL final. Nonnewaug advanced to the title game by beating Northwestern Regional High School in penalty kicks (4-3) after a 2-2 draw in regulation time.
The championship game will be played at Nonnewaug beginning at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28.

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Students dressed in neon lined the soccer field for senior night under the lights on Thursday, Oct. 16. The game against Lakeview was the last in a series of competitions Thursday night in celebration of Homecoming 2025.
As homecoming week reaches its end and fall sports finish out the season, an air of school spirit and student participation seems to be on the rise across Housatonic Valley Regional High School.
But what can be attributed to this sudden peak of student interest? That’s largely due to SGA. Also known as the Student Government Association, SGA has dedicated itself to creating events to bring the entire student body together. This year, they decided to change some traditions.
Spirit week from Oct. 14-17 was unlike those of the previous years. From wearing Housatonic merch to Boomer vs Baby day, this year’s spirit week held a little friendly competition to see which grade could participate the most.
“I think that students are bored of the same old activities and events, so it’s good to switch things up even slightly to incentivize interest within students,” said SGA president and senior Mollie Ford. “Plus the point system is super beneficial because it gives students a reason to participate.”
The school spirit sentiment can be seen outside of just the school. Senior Simon Markow is known for his photography throughout the community, and has dedicated time to help Housy sports teams’ social media posts.
“Since I’ve started photography, I think school attendance [at sports games] has gone up,” Markow said. “I feel this year, students will be more aware of games and are more likely to be at the games.”
Whether it’s a pink-out volleyball game or an under the lights soccer match, it’s likely you’ll see some familiar faces.
Social media has played a large role in this over the years. Almost every student organization at Housatonic has an Instagram account, and it’s helped reach students more efficiently than a poster or email would.
“The increase of social media use, with the help from me but as well as the teams themselves has definitely increased student interest,” Markow said. “With Housy teams posting more about their upcoming games, and my help showing the cool goals, spikes, or touchdowns, it’s enlightened students to watch the games themselves.”
In a small school, promoting pride has proven to be a challenge. But this year’s senior class has made some adjustments in the hopes to change that.
“The SGA community has spent the last few years really focusing on student participation, because we think it’s the students who contribute to a better climate,” Ford said. While Housatonic’s student body may be small in size, it seems they certainly aren’t small in spirit.