John Fisher Polhemus
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Linda Amerigi, Sharon town clerk, and Vera Dinneen, Cornwall town clerk, will be retiring this year after decades of service.
Ruth Epstein
Over their combined tenure of 56 years, Sharon Town Clerk Linda Amerighi and Cornwall Town Clerk Vera Dinneen have seen a lot. As they prepared their upcoming retirements, they looked back over their years as chroniclers of town business with a tinge of sadness, much laughter and a sense of pride.
As neighboring clerks, their towns border one another in a strange configuration. The covered bridge is the dividing line. “If someone gets married in that area, we have to ask them which side of the river did the wedding take place, so we give them the proper license,” said Dinneen. “And the same has to be determined if there is a drowning. Which side of the river was the person pulled out from?”
They want it known the job entails much more than filing deeds and issuing certain licenses.
Amerighi was working as a secretary in the lab at Sharon Hospital in 1987 when she was tapped by the Democrats to run for the office. She said she was “blindsided” when someone else was chosen, so the Republicans nominated her two years later, with an assurance the Democrats were on board. Dinneen was working at Mohawk Mountain Ski Area and raising her children when she was elected to the position. She had been working as the assistant clerk.
Respect for their competency and knowledge is reflected in the fact that neither has ever been challenged for their positions. They are proud to carry on the legacy of those who came before them: Dinneen is only Cornwall’s 21st town clerk since 1740, while Amerighi is the 38th in Sharon since 1739. Dinneen has worked with only one first selectman (Gordon Ridgway), while Amerighi has worked with five.
While both must follow the state laws of their office, Amerighi’s duties are busier when it comes to vital records, since Sharon is a hospital town. They both agreed that working on municipal elections is the least favorite task. “They are hell,” declared Amerighi, noting the extreme detail involved in making sure everything is correct. The state and federal ones are much easier since the bulk of the work isn’t under their purview.
They both noted that election laws are constantly changing, making it difficult to keep up with the latest rules. They also don’t care for dealing with petitions, having to make clear they cannot express any views and must remain impartial to any item that may come up for a vote.
Town clerks are also responsible for issuing marriage licenses and death certificates, land records, hunting and/or fishing licenses and their favorite, dog licenses. They both give out dog biscuits to their canine visitors. Amerighi smiled as she told about one dog who insists his owner bring him into her office weekly for a treat.
The two were in accord that they bend over backwards to be of service to all.
As with any job when dealing with the public, there are stories to be told. Both receive phone calls asking about the weather from people planning to travel to their towns. One question popular among town clerk circles is posed by those seeking dog licenses. They’ll want the clerks to examine the dog to determine whether their pet is neutered or not. “We can’t answer that,” said Amerighi with a grin. “I tell them I’m not a veterinarian.”
Amerighi gets asked if she thinks motorists need snow tires when they plan on driving on one of the town’s dirt roads. Those coming for the weekend will call to ask her about the weather. Dinneen remembered one couple who came to obtain a marriage license. “He was wrapped in chains and she was pulling him. I wonder if that one lasted.”
Dinneen quipped, “The town clerk’s office is information central.” But, they lament, times have changed over the years with the use of electronics taking over for in-person contact and phone calls, which they miss.
Both emphasized the incredibly strong role the local and state town clerks’ associations have played for them and how much they’ll miss being a part of that camaraderie. “We’re like a family,” said Dinneen. “We share everything,” said Amerighi.
As they end their times in office in December, they look back with gratitude for the opportunity to have served. “It was the best experience of my life,” said Amerighi.
She plans to spend more time woodworking, painting and sewing. Dinneen will be traveling, spinning wool, knitting, gardening and being with her grandchildren. A party to honor Dinneen and retiring Tax Collector Jean Bouteiller will be held on Sunday, Dec. 7, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Cornwall Town Hall.
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This CDC graph shows flu season hospitalization rates by year from 2010 to 2025.
Image from Centers for disease control
“While this season’s combined peak hospitalization rate is expected to be similar to that of last year, a higher combined peak rate remains possible,” according to the CDC.
As winter approaches in the Northwest Corner, local health officials say a wave of seasonal viral respiratory illness, from flu, RSV, COVID-19 and a mélange of other viruses, may not be far behind.
Already, area clinics are seeing a rise in colds, parainfluenza and stomach viruses, such as norovirus, an early sign that the 2025-2026 respiratory virus season could arrive sooner, and hit harder, than usual.
“So far, we’ve seen a handful of COVID cases, very small amounts of flu. It could be that we simply are not yet in the viral respiratory season yet,” said Dr. Ron Santos, medical director of Sharon Hospital’s Emergency Department.
Santos, who also serves as the hospital’s chief of staff, said some neighboring areas are already feeling the impact.
“Another provider in New Jersey said they are seeing a ton of COVID and flu,” Santos said.
He noted that his wife, a labor and delivery nurse who also works at a CVS pharmacy in Great Barrington, Mass., recently came home and reported an uptick in respiratory illnesses there.
“I think it just hasn’t come up to our neck of the woods yet,” said Santos.
Early signs point to a busy season
The virus season typically begins with RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) starting in October and early November, “and builds momentum around November and December and peaks in January or February,” according to Dr. Ulysses Wu, an infectious disease specialist with Hartford HealthCare.
“We don’t limit respiratory virus season to RSV, covid and flu. We lump them into the annual virus season with 10 or 15 other pathogens out there that people need to be aware of.”
Those include rhinovirus, the most common cause of the common cold; adenovirus, which causes a wide range of illness from mild cold-like symptoms to more severe infections like pneumonia, pink eye and gastroenteritis; pertussis, a highly contagious bacterial infection of the respiratory system; and parvovirus, which is more common in children than adults and causes an itchy rash, among other seasonal pathogens.
Dr. Wu noted that the reason COVID-19, RSV and flu grab the most headlines is because “these are the ones you can get a vaccine for. But we are still seeing all these other respiratory viruses that are happening.”
Vax fatigue, new COVID variant raises concerns
Vaccination rates for both influenza and the updated COVID-19 boosters remain low statewide. Health officials attribute this partly to pandemic fatigue and a misplaced sense of security after last winter’s surge subsided.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on Aug. 31 that COVID-19 hospitalizations could rise higher than last season, particularly among older adults and those with weakened immune systems, and if a new variant emerges.
In its annual outlook, the agency cited declining vaccine uptake and the potential impact of a new, faster-spreading variant as key risk factors.
“While this season’s combined peak hospitalization rate is expected to be similar to that of last year, a higher combined peak rate remains possible,” according to the CDC.
“This underscores the need to plan and prepare for the possibility of a higher peak,” driven by several factors, including the emergence of a new COVID variant with an increased ability to evade the body’s prior immunity or a new variant associated with higher clinical severity.
The CDC further noted the “predominance of an influenza subtype with more severe outcomes” and lower vaccine uptake or effectiveness could make for a severe season of viral sickness.
Clinicians across the Northwest Corner are reporting early cases of norovirus, parainfluenza and the common cold, with children and older adults most affected.
The start of the 2025-26 school season coincided with a surge in early pediatric cases, according to Dr. Sarah Humphreys, chief medical officer of Community Health & Wellness Center, which operates facilities in North Canaan, Torrington and Winsted.
“Right now, it’s pretty low,” she said of circulating viruses, “but it was peaking around the end of September,” around the same time school reopened and indoor gatherings increased. “It was another type of respiratory virus of which there are hundreds,” she said of the early outbreak.
Simple steps, big impact
Doctors say there’s still time to act.
The best defense includes getting vaccinated, washing hands frequently, staying home when sick, and maintaining good indoor ventilation.
Regarding a slow uptake toward vaccinations, Dr. Wu noted, “People know what they need to get. Some are just drawing a line in the sand about what they are going to get and what they are not going to get. There should be no confusion about it.”
Health professionals also strongly encourage wearing a mask in crowded indoor settings, particularly for those who are older, immunocompromised or live with individuals at higher risk.
Humphreys said she “stands by the original CDC recommendation, which is an annual booster and then every six months,” particularly for those with underlying health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, COPD, obesity and those concerned about acquiring long COVID, which can lead to “very debilitating symptoms that can last.”
The Connecticut Department of Public Health recommends everyone get the new flu shot each year, unless advised otherwise by your doctor, and most adults can get one COVID-19 shot each year, although adults who are at a higher risk of getting very sick should get two shots.
Adults who are 50 to 74 years old and are high-risk should get one RSV shot, one time. “This is not an annual shot and should not be repeated every year,” according to DPH.
Residents can visit www.ct.gov/dph for vaccination sites and updates on respiratory virus trends across the state.
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Josh Brennan needs to raise $800 as he prepares to return to the Special Olympics in 2026.
Patrick L. Sullivan
SALISBURY — Josh Brennan of Salisbury is heading to the 2026 Special Olympics in Minneapolis in June and he needs a little help.
Brennan, who competes in track and field and golf but will be concentrating on bowling this time around, needs to raise $800. He raised $290 as of Sunday, Nov. 16.
He belongs to the Titans, a group of Special Olympians based in western Massachusetts. His mother, Chris Brennan, explained that the Titans group was much closer to Salisbury than the nearest Connecticut group, so joining it made logistical sense.
Josh Brennan has been involved with the Special Olympics for 15 years. He said that while the competition is fun, the chance to meet up with others and make new friends is the real appeal of the program.
When he’s not working on his bowling game, Brennan is a volunteer at Noble Horizons, helping with the senior recreation programs.
To contribute go to fundraise.specialolympicsma.org/campaigns/BARC-Bowling----Coach-by-Chris-Ferrari-
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Blumenthal swears in Cornwall officials
Nov 19, 2025
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D) swears in Cornwall selectmen John Brown and Rocco Botto at a ceremony Sunday, Nov. 16.
Ruth Epstein
CORNWALL — U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D) visited Cornwall on Sunday to administer the oath of office to officials elected in the Nov. 4 municipal election, telling attendees that “This election was not too suspenseful, but was still extraordinarily meaningful.”
Blumenthal’s appearance underscored the importance of local government, a theme echoed by First Selectman Gordon Ridgway in his opening remarks.
Ridgway said small towns cannot shut down, referring to the federal government, which just came back after being closed for 40 days. “Local government has a big impact on its citizens. We have to look after our roads and school. We can’t just close them.”
Blumenthal, surveying the audience made up of mainly those who were re-elected to their positions, said, “You have served with dedication. Today we celebrate democracy.”
He talked about the Board of Selectmen, noting that it has worked to enhance and preserve the diversity of the community. Affordable housing has been one of its focuses and he pointed out that Ridgway likes to say it’s about “keeping the corn in Cornwall,” which is a metaphor for maintaining the beautiful landscape.
He said Ridgway talked about small-town government not being able to close down. “Local officials can’t afford to do that, and you wouldn’t let them do it.”
The senator spoke of the difficult job local officials face. “They can’t leave. They’re always accountable to you.” He thanked everyone for participating in the election process.
A focal point of the ceremony was the large Democracy Cup, given to the town having the largest voter turnout in the state for a presidential election. Cornwall earned that honor in 2024.
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