Willis honored for lead in education

Willis honored for lead in education
Former State Rep. Roberta Willis  on Wednesday, May 17 at the Capitol. Photo submitted

HARTFORD —A large group gathered on a busy day in the Connecticut Capitol to praise former State Rep. Roberta Willis’ legislative and leadership accomplishments on behalf of higher education in Connecticut.

Willis received the 2023 Connecticut Higher Education Excellence Award presented by the New England Board of Higher Education on Wednesday, May 17.

Willis, a Democrat, retired in 2017 from the Connecticut General Assembly, after having served for 16 years as the representative from the 64th House District.

During her tenure, she was the House Chairman of Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee and was co-chair of the Higher Education Appropriations subcommittee from 2002 to 2016.

During that time, Willis also served on the New England Board of Higher Education. The Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education praised her as a “tireless advocate” for students, who fought to protect and expand state scholarship funds, and the need for capital investments to improve college campuses. 

Her legislative and leadership work include passing a “Dreamers” bill for in-state tuition, permitting students without immigration documentation to attend state colleges at in-state tuition prices, supporting the early development of high tech-advanced manufacturing at Connecticut community colleges, and supporting the expansion of the University of Connecticut Health Center and medical school.

Before her retirement, in a surprise move, the legislature voted unanimously to rename the Governor’s Scholarship Program, the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship Program, in her honor. The program provides financial aid to tens of thousands of Connecticut students attending public and private colleges.

Latest News

Club baseball at Fuessenich Park

Travel league baseball came to Torrington Thursday, June 26, when the Berkshire Bears Select Team played the Connecticut Moose 18U squad. The Moose won 6-4 in a back-and-forth game. Two players on the Bears play varsity ball at Housatonic Valley Regional High School: shortstop Anthony Foley and first baseman Wes Allyn. Foley went 1-for-3 at bat with an RBI in the game at Fuessenich Park.

 

  Anthony Foley, rising senior at Housatonic Valley Regional High School, went 1-for-3 at bat for the Bears June 26.Photo by Riley Klein 

 
Siglio Press: Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature

Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.

Richard Kraft

Siglio Press is a small, independent publishing house based in Egremont, Massachusetts, known for producing “uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.” Founded and run by editor and publisher Lisa Pearson, Siglio has, since 2008, designed books that challenge conventions of both form and content.

A visit to Pearson’s airy studio suggests uncommon work, to be sure. Each of four very large tables were covered with what looked to be thousands of miniature squares of inkjet-printed, kaleidoscopically colored pieces of paper. Another table was covered with dozens of book/illustration-size, abstracted images of deer, made up of colored dots. For the enchanted and the mystified, Pearson kindly explained that these pieces were to be collaged together as artworks by the artist Richard Kraft (a frequent contributor to the Siglio Press and Pearson’s husband). The works would be accompanied by writings by two poets, Elizabeth Zuba and Monica Torre, in an as-yet-to-be-named book, inspired by a found copy of a worn French children’s book from the 1930s called “Robin de Bois” (Robin Hood).

Keep ReadingShow less
Cycling season: A roundup of our region’s rentals and where to ride them

Cyclists head south on the rail trail from Copake Falls.

Alec Linden

After a shaky start, summer has well and truly descended upon the Litchfield, Berkshire and Taconic hills, and there is no better way to get out and enjoy long-awaited good weather than on two wheels. Below, find a brief guide for those who feel the pull of the rail trail, but have yet to purchase their own ten-speed. Temporary rides are available in the tri-corner region, and their purveyors are eager to get residents of all ages, abilities and inclinations out into the open road (or bike path).

For those lucky enough to already possess their own bike, perhaps the routes described will inspire a new way to spend a Sunday afternoon. For more, visit lakevillejournal.com/tag/bike-route to check out two ride-guides from local cyclists that will appeal to enthusiasts of many levels looking for a varied trip through the region’s stunning summer scenery.

Keep ReadingShow less