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Luiza, 6; Cecilia, 4; Nathan, 4; and Aria, 6, show off their face paint and balloon animals during the fifth annual Lakeville Journal Street Fair on Aug. 8.
Aly Morrissey
“Part of what makes this region so special is the number of people who give so freely of their time and resources,” Clark said. “As a nonprofit ourselves, we know that work isn’t always visible, and the Street Fair gives us a chance to celebrate the work these organizations are doing and the people behind them.”
Audrey Cole of the Western Connecticut Area Agency on Aging (WCAAA) was on site with information on the often-bewildering subject of Medicare.
Cole, who lives in Sharon, said the WCAAA is a nonprofit serving 41 towns in Western Connecticut with Medicare counseling, Alzheimer’s care, caregiver support , meals, transportation, chore assistance and more.
Medicare is always a hot topic, she said, in part because figuring out which program to choose — and when to sign up — can be difficult.
“There are lots of deadlines, lots of programs,” she said.
The advantage in asking WCAAA for help, Cole said, is its independence.
“We work for the taxpayers. We don’t steer anyone in any direction.”
In the parking lot of Johnnycake Books, Linda Ciano, director of community engagement for Project SAGE, greeted visitors beneath a large tent.
The Lakeville-based nonprofit domestic violence prevention agency has two fundraisers currently underway.
“The Bling’s the Thing” offers jewelry donated by supporters at bargain prices, while a five-dollar bill gets shoppers an extra sturdy, large blue Project SAGE tote bag.
Project SAGE is also sponsoring a community art project and inviting anyone to participate — no artistic skills required. The results will be displayed at an event at the Scoville Memorial Library on Sunday, Sept. 13.
At the Salisbury Association, Lou Bucceri discussed a range of local history, from Salisbury’s iron industry and the role of its cannons in the American Revolution to the Holley knife collection and Ethan Allen’s insistence on being inoculated against smallpox by his friend Dr. Thomas Young of Amenia Union.
The idea of deliberately injecting a healthy person with a small amount of a disease was very new and, to many, seemed unwise if not downright evil. Allen got his smallpox inoculation on the steps on the Congregational Church on a Sunday, for maximum publicity.
“And he was hauled into court ona charge of blasphemy,” Bucceri said.
Allen subsequently beat the charge.
During the fair, musician and educator Danny Tieger set the tone in front of a crowd of youngsters eager to hear live music. He asked them to brainstorm about what kind of animal they’d like to hear a song about.
The children came up with a combination of a lion, a bird and an alligator.
Tieger immediately launched into a song, made up on the spot.
“What’s our alligator-bird-lion’s name?” he asked.
“Chomps,” said a little boy.
“Chomps it is,” Tieger replied.
Around 1 p.m. John Keilty of Litchfield took over the live music duties. He set up a Bo Diddley beat on one note, turning it into a repeating motif recorded electronically. He then soloed over it, soaring off in unexpected directions before bringing it back to the riff.
Keilty’s primary job is running a guitar repair business. He plays in a couple of bands, including Shake the Dust out of Litchfield.
Participating Nonprofit Organizations
21st Century Fund for HVRHS
Berkshire Taconic
Community Foundation
Community Health & Wellness
Congregational Church of Salisbury, UCC
Crescendo
East Mountain House
Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Connecticut
Housatonic Child Care Center
Noble Horizons
Northwell Health
Project SAGE
Salisbury Forum
The Corner Food Pantry
The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News
The Salisbury Association
Western CT Area Agency on Aging
Aly Morrissey
Children show off their balloon unicorns.
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John Papp, right, and associate Jonathan Abbott formed Litchfield Building Inspection Services LLC, which serves as the building inspector for Falls Village, Kent, Norfolk and Warren.
Ruth Epstein
The search for a building inspector was a shared concern among Falls Village, Warren and Kent town leaders. Before a recent Council of Governments meeting, Falls Village First Selectman Dave Barger said he spoke with Warren First Selectman Greg LaCava and Kent First Selectman Eric Epstein about their vacancies. LaCava told them that Warren contractor John Papp was forming an LLC to provide building inspection services.
“We had a vacancy and people weren’t knocking down the doors to take it on because of the stringent requirements,” Barger said.
He reached out to Papp, as did Kent’s Eric Epstein and Norfolk First Selectman Henry Tirrell. Papp has since been hired by all four towns.
Barger said Papp works as a subcontractor and his firm, Litchfield Building Inspection Services LLC, gets a percentage of the building fees.
“It’s interesting,” Barger said. “We no longer do anything by paper. Everything is electronic. This has moved Falls Village into the 20th century. Someday we’ll get to the 21st,” he joked.
Papp, 40, of Warren, and his associate, Jonathan Abbott, 33, of New Preston, were familiarizing themselves with the Kent office last week as they took on their new roles.
Papp acknowledged that the requirements for becoming a building inspector can make the field difficult to enter. There are approximately 200 inspectors around the state, he said.
A longtime contractor, Papp said he was looking for a new experience. He’s finding that Kent has a lot of new construction, especially with three private schools within its borders.
Asked if he’d take on other towns if needed, he said his team would definitely be willing to expand.
In Sharon, William Pietrefase, 61, who took over for MacMillan in Sharon as both building inspector and fire marshal, attributes the shortage to the rigorous and time-consuming courses needed to qualify for the inspector’s job.
William Pietrefase is the new building inspector and fire marshal in Sharon. Ruth Epstein
There are 12 modules that have to be completed, including electrical, plumbing, residential energy and pool and spa installation. Completing all 12 can take multiple years. Classes are held in Hartford, but there is a shift toward online courses.
An alternate route for those with years of experience in the building trades is available. Candidates can challenge having to take particular courses and skip the test.
Pietrefase’s route to his position was a circuitous one. He began his career as a liquor salesman and was familiar with the area because he serviced customers in Sharon. He then worked as a building contractor for 35 years, but the physical demands of the work eventually took their toll.
In August 2022, he was hired as building inspector in Winsted. “They gave me two years to get certified,” he said. “I did it in seven months.”
Josh Kelly, Winsted’s town manager at the time, sent him to fire marshal school, which he was pleased to do, since many of his family members were firefighters.
After 18 months, he became a building inspector in Torrington, his hometown. He was there for two and a half years before learning that MacMillan was retiring. “I applied because this would give me the opportunity to do both,” Pietrefase said.
Pietrefase said Sharon has a lot of construction going on, a mix of both commercial and residential. “It’s a dynamic situation for a small community.”
The two jobs equal a 35-hour-a-week position, but he is on call 24/7 for incidents requiring a fire marshal.
Being an inspector is a natural step for those in the building trades, Pietrefase said, because it allows them to continue using the skills they have learned.
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