Letters to the Editor - August 14, 2025

Tell Congress not to touch Medicare

They said they would not touch Medicare, the medical insurance for older Americans, but every Republican in Congress voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), and that means big cuts coming to Medicare starting next year.

Sequestration is a process in which the government imposes automatic withholding of appropriations to all government programs for the purpose of meeting budget goals.

This happens in conjunction with various acts meant to reduce the budget, such as the statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act, which requires automatic reductions in spending for programs like Medicare when the deficit increases significantly.

If Congress does not act, the One Big Beautiful Bill will potentially cause a $500 billon cut to Medicare starting in 2026 and continuing to 2034.

Payments to hospitals, physicians and healthcare providers will be reduced.

Medicare Advantage plan funding will be decreased.

The Medicare Savings Program, which helps 1.3 million people with Medicare costs, will be impacted.

Stand-alone drug plan payments will decrease as the OBBB removes

Medicare’s ability to negotiate and control costs for medications for many diseases.

It could get so much worse for our elderly population if cuts to Medicare are enacted. It will be tragic for the government to cut Medicare simply to give large tax breaks to the rich. This is not acceptable public policy.

Unless Congress acts now to stop the reduction of federal money for Medicare, these cuts imposed by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will negatively affect over 65 million Americans using Medicare by raising their medical costs starting next year.

It is urgent we tell Congress to restore funding for Medicare!

Lizbeth Piel

Sharon

Thornton family gratitude

We would like to personally thank everyone who came to our son, husband and dad, Scott Thornton’s viewing on July 24 at Hufcut Funeral Home. The outpouring of love, compassion and kindness from friends, family, colleagues, trustees, and the community was truly overwhelming. The amount of support we received was an amazing tribute to Scott and the countless people whose lives he touched during his lifetime. Thank you to all who attended and who sent messages and gifts of condolences.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Jeanne Thornton Schwager (mom), Becky Thornton (wife) Sawyer Haab and Paxton Thornton (daughters) and family

Sharon

With many thanks and profound fondness

On behalf of the North Canaan Events Committee and the Town of North Canaan, we would like to extend a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to every guest, vendor, participant, volunteer, business, and first responder, who made this summer a truly memorable and fun-filled season.

As we successfully navigated three months of special events, beginning with Literacy Night in June, the new Summer Nights of Canaan in July, and closing with Old Railroads Days in August, it was quite clear that our dedicated and passionate group of volunteers were ready and able to provide residents and guests with a variety of options; all focused intently on bringing families and friends together, having fun, and making new memories!

The Town of North Canaan and its storied history was on full display this summer, combined of course with many new offerings; which created a diverse and intriguing calendar of events that allowed eventgoers to fully enjoy themselves, while being in the midst of good company and an environment that was welcoming and jovial. Ranging from literacy and arts for the children, to our annual carnival and fireworks display, to the firefighter’s parade, to the decadent food options, to the spirited music, to the vendor market, to the annual 5-mile fun run, to the treasured historical items and train displays, to the famed history walks, there was surely a little something for everybody.

As we now move forward and continue to plan events for the fall season, we encourage all of you to please stay in touch via our various websites and social media pages; Town of North Canaan and North Canaan Events Committee. Hosting these events surely is a labor love, as they all require significant planning, funding, and staffing. We would love to see the ranks of our events committee grow even larger. If you are able, we kindly ask that please consider volunteering some of your time, so that we can continue to offer our beloved town and the Northwest Corner with even more memories in the months and years ahead.

Jennifer Crane, Chair

North Canaan Events Committee

Brian M. Ohler, First Selectman

Town of North Canaan

Thanks to Journal editor

Thank you John Coston.We could make this longer with the help of AI or one or your capable summer interns but we will leave it as thank you.

We speak for a community grateful for your leadership.

Mary and Philip

Oppenheimer

Lakeville

Gratitude for Lakeville Hose and SVAS ‘heroes’

A few years back my wife, the accomplished filmmaker Anne Makepeace, produced and directed a short film titled “Neighbors Helping Neighbors.”The film depicted the vastly important work of the Lakeville Hose Company and the Salisbury Voluntary Ambulance Squad.Given the value of what both entities do, Anne at first proposed a title that dubbed them heroes. But out of humility, the groups chose instead the more modest title.

Anne, though an Emmy Award winning documentary filmmaker, naturally created the film for a fraction of her usual fee. But as fate would have it, on the evening of Tuesday July 15, we both were paid beyond measure. Anne was away, attending a writing program at Skidmore.Long story short, as I was preparing for bed a suspicious odor prompted me to walk around inside our home.What I found led me to call 911.Fire trucks and an ambulance were in our driveway within five minutes.Turned out that an electrical fire had ignited inside a wall in our home.Deploying their expertise, the volunteers first shooed me from our home (thick smoke was gathering), then found and rescued our beloved puppy from inside.

Then the firefighters trooped into our home, armed with a chainsaw, a couple of axes, and a hose. Was damage inflicted on our home?Of course!That’s how skilled firefighters get rid of the danger.

Anne and I will be eternally grateful to the Hose Company, the SVAS, and the other fire companies that sent their trucks and teams.To us, they will always be heroes.

Anne Makepeace and Charles Church

Lakeville