Left to right, Christian Murray, Executive Editor; Nathan Miller, Managing Editor of The Millerton News; Natalia Zukerman, Arts & Lifestyle Editor; Thomas K. Carley, Chief Operating Officer; and James H. Clark, CEO/Publisher receive awards at the New England Newspaper and Press Association spring conference in Portsmouth, NH.
The Lakeville Journal earned several top honors at the New England Newspaper and Press Association’s annual spring conference on March 16 for its work in journalism, community engagement and audience outreach.
Among the awards, the organization received first place in the Community and Audience Engagement category for its high school journalism program. The program, launched in April 2025 with funding support from the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, 21st Century Fund and individual donors, teaches professional journalism to students at Housatonic Valley Regional High School and launched the student newspaper HVRHS Today.
The paper also earned first place in the Human Interest category for Natalia Zukerman’s story, “Bearing Witness at Auschwitz,” a personal account examining the legacy of the Holocaust and the importance of remembrance.
Additional honors included second place for Fundraising Strategy, second place for Outstanding Newsletter for the paper’s “What To Do” newsletter, and second place for Newspaper Event for the community Street Fair.
Publisher James H. Clark said the awards reflect the organization’s belief that strong local news is the foundation of a strong community.
“These honors recognize the strength of our local reporting, our commitment to meaningful engagement and the deep connection we have to the communities we serve,” Clark said. “I’m proud of the work our team does every day to serve our readers and keep our communities connected.”
The high school journalism initiative was designed as a bottom-up program that gives students broad latitude to shape the publication’s voice, design and coverage. A team of five to six students plan each issue, pitching story ideas and reporting the articles independently.
Nathan Miller, managing editor of The Millerton News and program lead, said the recognition is shared with the students.
“The program’s success would not be possible without the amazing students who worked for the past year to create HVRHS Today,” Miller said.
Zukerman said she was grateful to see her work recognized. “I’m honored that this piece was recognized,” Zukerman said. “It documents not only a historic commemoration, but a deeply personal reckoning. For me, remembrance is not passive. In this time of rising authoritarianism and multiple ongoing genocides, I feel an unyielding responsibility to remember and to speak.”
The annual NENPA awards recognize excellence and innovation among newspapers and media organizations across New England, honoring work in reporting, audience development and community service.
The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News are published by LJMN Media, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Lakeville Journal
Rebecca Serle (right) and novelist Jessica Anya Blau shared laughs and literary secrets during a lively conversation about Serle’s new novel “Once and Again” at the The White Hart Inn in Salisbury on Wednesday, March 11. Serle is the bestselling author of “In Five Years,” “One Italian Summer” and several other novels beloved for their emotional twists and reflections on fate and second chances. The talk was part of the White Hart Speaker Series presented with Oblong Books and the Scoville Memorial Library.
C.E. Tripler
The Salisbury Winter Sports Association’s ski jumping team travelled to Lake Placid,NY, the weekend of Saturday, March 8, in a multi-club jump competition.
Ten athletes from SWSA joined a field of 20 other ski jumpers from across New York, New England and Canada.
Competitors jumped in one of two heights, the 10-meter and 20-meter jumps. Additionally, athletes competed in a cross-country ski racing event, in which competitors skied a half-kilometer course at the bottom of the ski jumps.
Athletes completed two to six laps covering a distance from one to three kilometers in distance depending on their specific competition group.
Ski jumpers competed in their age classes with the youngest jumpers in the 10 years and younger group jumping first.
SWSA’s Bodhi Thomas of Falls Village jumped to a gold medal in the U10 boys with a distance of 26 feet.
In the U12 division, Charlotte Milner of Lakeville jumped to a silver medal with a distance of 44 feet for the girls.
Wyeth Taylor of Somersville, Massachusetts and Salisbury took the gold medal jumping 48 feet and Henry Sheil of Lakeville took the bronze medal with a distance of 44 feet.
In the open category, Augustus Tripler won gold with a jump of 51 feet on the large hill.
Aerin Sheil of Lakeville skied to a bronze medal finish in the U10 girls Nordic combined with a time of 6:15 in the 1K. Mather Eckert of Lakeville took second place for U10 boys with a time of 7:07.
In the longer distance categories Wyeth Taylor grabbed silver with a time of 9:56 and Henry Sheil earned bronze with a time of 12:41 for the 2K distance U12 boys category.
In the open category, Augustus Tripler finished in second earning his second medal of the day.
While conditions were less than ideal with the warm air and strong sun, all the jumpers seemed to be having fun. One of the younger jumpers, Oona Mascavage, 7, from Lakeville said “It was great! I had a lot of distance on my jump” and Francesca McLoughlin was happy with the overall event saying “I had a lot of fun!”
Riley Klein
The winners of the 3-on-3 championship game were, from left, Georgie Clayton, Anthony Foley and Peyton Bushnell.
FALLS VILLAGE — A miniature version of March Madness was held at Housatonic Valley Regional High School Tuesday, March 10.
Seven teams entered the double-elimination basketball tournament to benefit the Class of 2027. The teams of three were co-ed and had to include at least one non-varsity player.
Each squad was given a name of a prominent college basketball program. The team names were UConn, Florida, UNLV, ‘Bama, UCLA, Duke and Syracuse.
Teacher Deron Bayer got things started. “Ready, set, basketball!”
The teams were afforded two losses before being eliminated. The half-court games required rebounds to be taken behind the arc before beginning a new offensive possession.
UNLV, including Anthony Labbadia, Olivia Brooks and Jaxon Visockis, entered the championship game undefeated. The trio knocked out UCLA, including Anthony Foley, Peyton Bushnell and Madeline Mechare, in the semifinal.
UCLA battled back through the losers bracket for a rematch against UNLV in the final.
Mechare had to leave early, so UCLA subbed in Georgie Clayton. The team proceeded to beat UNLV twice in a row and claim the title.
The event raised more than $100 for the junior class.
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Riley Klein
LAKEVILLE — The Hotchkiss School’s boys varsity basketball team claimed the 2026 New England Prep School Athletic Conference Class A title last week.
The Bearcats defeated Phillips Academy Andover 66-54 in the championship game Sunday, March 8. The tournament final was played in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Hotchkiss entered the playoffs as the 5th seed in Class A. The boys defeated Milton Academy 57-54 in the first round Wednesday, March 4, and went on to defeat Phillips Exeter Academy 69-52 in the semifinals Saturday, March 7.
The last time Hotchkiss won the boys Class A tournament was in 2022.
Alec Linden
KENT — Municipal operating costs were anticipated to increase by nearly 6% after the Board of Selectmen’s first presentation of its budget to the Board of Finance.
The BOS presented its budget draft, which is subject to change as budget season progresses towards the town hearing and vote in May, to the BOF at its regular meeting on March 11. The bottom line total for the next fiscal year was $5,309,163, marking a 5.7% increase from the amount budgeted for this year.
The two town boards discussed the expenditure draft, noting where the most marked increases lay.
As in other towns in the Northwest Corner, insurance costs for hiked, increasing for Town Hall employees under a state plan by close to 13% per person. Treasurer Barbara Herbst noted that the state had announced that premiums would not be hiked as much as anticipated, so that number could end up lower.
The Selectmen’s own budget line is marked at a 22% increase from 2025-2026. First Selectman Eric Epstein explained that the difference is largely due to a proposed new social media specialist position for Town Hall. The new part-time role, if filled, would add $23,400 to the BOS’s expenditures.
Much of the meeting was dedicated to discussing Lake Waramaug, primarily due to a plan to combat the invasive waterweed hydrilla that was recently formulated between the lake’s three governing towns of Washington, Warren and Kent.
Kent is currently set to contribute 20% of the total staffing costs of $100,000 for a new decontamination station at the New Preston firehouse.
BOF member Jason Wright voiced his support for acting quickly against the aggressive plant, but advised that the various commissions and municipal groups in charge of the lake should figure out how to diffuse the costs away from Kent taxpayers, most of whom aren’t putting boats into Lake Waramaug.
During public comment at the meeting’s end, resident Donna Hayes felt that Kent residents were being treated unfairly by being forced to contribute such a sum to a lake many aren’t even able to use due to access restrictions and costs. She voiced her desire to “get something for our money” in future deliberations surrounding expenses for the lake.
The next stage in Kent’s budget proceedings will occur on March 25, when the Board of Education presents its drafted contribution to the yearly municipal budget
Riley Klein
NORTH CANAAN — Mountainside Treatment Center has applied to the Planning and Zoning Commission for approval to add a yoga room to its activities center.
Dean Smith of Mountainside presented the proposal at the commission’s regular meeting in Town Hall on Monday, March 9.
The planned addition would measure 24 by 40 feet and would be set back 231 feet from the road, Smith said. He added that the structure would not be located in wetlands. Mountainside is located on Route 7.
Zoning Enforcement Officer George Martin said the proposal has already been reviewed by Torrington Area Health and the fire marshal.
Since Mountainside operates under a special permit, an amendment to that permit is required before construction can proceed. The commission scheduled a public hearing on the application for Monday, April 13, at 7 p.m. in Town Hall.
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