Renovations underway at HVRHS

Facilities manager Jeff Lloyd showed off the renovations taking place at HVRHS's auditorium Friday, July 19.

Photo by Patrick Sullivan

Renovations underway at HVRHS

FALLS VILLAGE — The auditorium looked much smaller without anything in it. Multipurpose Room 133 was covered with plastic sheeting. The cafeteria was stripped down to the bones, and workers were on the scaffolding at the front of the building.

That was the scene at Housatonic Valley Regional High School Friday, July 19, when Facilities Manager Jeff Lloyd took a reporter around to see the ongoing renovations and capital improvements.

A Jan. 8 referendum vote on a $5.64 million capital improvement and renovation project at HVRHS passed by 579-206 vote.
The improvements and renovations are extensive. Included are cafeteria and auditorium renovations, including new seats in the auditorium, new furniture in the cafeteria, and new sound equipment in both venues.

The tennis courts located north of the HVRHS campus are being resurfaced with a new “coaches’ alley” included. A 300 kilowatt generator is being installed in the southern end of the school, which Lloyd said “can run everything” in the event of a power failure. All masonry is being inspected and, where necessary, repaired. There is a new fire alarm system, new bathrooms, and the cupola on the roof is receiving some long-overdue attention.

In the hallway outside Room 133 and heading down into the math and science classrooms, the entire wiring and duct system was exposed.

Lloyd asked an unseen worker overhead how it was going.

“We’re bobbing and weaving, just like we always do” said the voice.

Clambering up the scaffold stairs in the cafeteria, a visitor beheld a small army of workers dealing with the ceiling.
Lloyd said with a building as old as HVRHS, there are always surprises, which almost always require some adjustments to the original plan.

Most of the project will be complete for the first day of school Tuesday, Aug. 27, but the auditorium will not be ready. Lloyd said the new seats won’t arrive until the last week of August.

Lloyd was interrupted constantly during the tour, for quick huddles with contractors, to discuss the plantings in the front of the school, and to help sort out a delivery.

Latest News

Paul Winter to celebrate the winter solstice at Saint James Place

The Paul Winter Consort will perform at St. James Cathedral in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Saturday, Dec. 21.

Photo by Matthew Muise

Seven-time Grammy winning saxophonist Paul Winter, with the Paul Winter Consort, will return to celebrate the Winter Solstice on Saturday, Dec. 21, with sold out shows at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Saint James Place, 352 Main St., Great Barrington, Massachusetts.

A uniquely intimate solstice celebration, in contrast to the large-scale productions done for many years in the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York, it promises to deliver everything audiences have come to love and expect.

Keep ReadingShow less
Developers withdraw application to expand Wake Robin Inn

Wake Robin Inn is located on Sharon Road in Lakeville.

Photo by John Coston

LAKEVILLE — Aradev LLC has withdrawn its application to the Planning and Zoning Commission for a special permit to redevelop the Wake Robin Inn.

In a letter submitted to P&Z Chair Michael Klemens on the afternoon of Tuesday, Dec. 17, law outfit Mackey, Butts & Whalen LLP announced its client’s withdrawal.

Keep ReadingShow less
North Canaan antique mall fills resale niche

The 403 Group is located at 403 Ashley Falls Road, where the old This N’ That for Habitat used to be.

Photo by Robin Roraback

NORTH CANAAN — The 403 Group Antique Market is “A hidden secret, a little off the beaten path, but worth the drive,” said Carey Field, who has a booth called “Wild Turkey” there.

“It’s a really fun group of dealers,” Field said. “A really eclectic group of antiques and the prices are reasonable.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Shooting the breeze with Christopher Little

Martin Tandler

Little with his dog, Ruby.

"What I really feel lucky about is having had the chance to meet and photograph so many people who had a real impact on our lives,” said Christopher Little whose new memoir, “Shooting the Breeze: Memories of a Photojournalist” was just released. The book is as eclectic and colorful as the man himself and offers an intimate look into Little’s globe-trotting career spent behind the lens, capturing some of the most iconic figures, events, and human stories of the past half-century.

In 2021, the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at The University of Texas acquired Little’s photographic archive.

Keep ReadingShow less