Letters to the Editor - October 23, 2025

Appreciation for ‘Under the Lights’ contributions

On behalf of the Housatonic Valley Regional High School Athletic Department, I would like to extend our sincere appreciation to the local businesses that contributed to our recent “Under the Lights” game — Vernali Concrete, Champ Perotti, Faye and Wright Rock Crushing, Century Concrete, the Town of North Canaan, the Town of Kent, and the Kent Fire Company. A special thank you is also extended to Todd Vernali, Dino Labbadia, and Shawn Finney for their assistance in setting up the lights.

Your commitment to supporting our students and school community exemplifies the strong partnership that exists between Housatonic and our local towns. These lights provided a unique opportunity for our students, families, and fans to come together and celebrate Mountaineer pride.

Thank you for helping us create an environment that reflects the spirit and unity of our region. Your generosity truly lights the way for our student-athletes—both on and off the field.

Yours in Blue and Gold,

Anne MacNeil

CMAA, R-ATC
Athletic Director

Falls Village

ICE needs to be brought under control, up to courts

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, commonly known as ICE, comes under the Homeland Security administration. Their mission is to “protect America from cross-border crime and illegal immigration that threatens national security.” President Trump appointed Stephen Miller to run it, and Miller has pushed the organization to arrest 3,000 people a day.

The ICE officers are masked to protect themselves from recognition by their neighbors, who would probably ostracize them and cause their children to be shunned in schools.That is because polls show that the great majority of Americans do not approve of the violence displayed by these ICE officers when making arrests.

Detainees with no criminal record outnumber those with prior convictions. Many arrests are not for violent criminals as Homeland Security has claimed but rather are often longtime residents who outstayed their visas or are, in fact, US citizens.

In contrast, our state police are not masked. They wear cameras to ensure that when they arrest suspects for violent crime like murder, assault, and armed robbery, the suspects are treated with human dignity. This should be the way ICE operates.

The public’s use of cell phones to photograph the violence of ICE should not be needed to curtail ICE and bring about some degree of accountability, but that is the public’s primary tool.

Latinos make up most of the people currently being targeted by ICE, but the next biggest group of people who entered the country illegally are from India. Will they be targeted next by ICE?

By threatening peaceful protesters, targeting minority populations, and using extreme brutality to silence and arrest US civilians, ICE demonstrates again that it needs to be brought under control. Since the Trump administration won’t do it, sadly, it is left to the courts to protect our rights. Let us hope that the judicial branch will act responsibly and impartially, their decisions acting as a check and balance to the executive branch during these disturbing times.

Lizbeth Piel

Sharon

Fall Festival a huge success, passing the torch

The 68th Salisbury Fall Festival was a huge success with a record number of people enjoying our home-town celebration. I want to thank the many organizations, businesses, churches, schools, and artisans who sponsored and participated in this year’s event.

Merchants planned a Sip & Stroll for Friday night to start the festivities. About 25 scarecrows appeared along Main Street in Lakeville and Salisbury, and more than 1,000 votes were cast for the favorites. Organizations sponsored a variety of events, from a book giveaway and a quilt show to bake sales and historical exhibits.

Kids flocked to the library lawn for pumpkin decorating, crafts, face painting, games—and two party pigs. A magician entertained young and old. People enjoyed hay rides, antique car rides, and dance performances.

The White Hart lawn was filled with the tents of local artisans. Live music was provided by local bands and musicians, the middle school chorus, and an Irish opera singer. Food offerings ranged from hot dogs, chili, and mac ‘n cheese to food trucks and Lakeville Hose’s prime rib dinner. And the rain held off for the Pet Parade on Sunday which had many dogs plus a cat, a gecko, and a brief visit by a horse!

For 15 years, I’ve enjoyed organizing and publicizing the Salisbury Fall Festival, which has grown from a church-sponsored fair into a town-wide event attracting more and more visitors every year. I’m grateful to the many organizations, businesses, and individuals who are sponsors and/or participants in the festival—this year they numbered over 80! And I’m very grateful to Larissa Vreeland who will take over the responsibilities next year.

The Salisbury Fall Festival, one of the oldest festivals in the area, is an outstanding showcase for our community. May it continue to provide a fun-filled weekend in our Northwest Corner for so many people.

Jeanette Weber

Salisbury Fall Festival

Salisbury

Kitty cares for community and will work for us

We heartily recommend Kitty Kiefer for re-election as Selectman for the Town of Salisbury. Kitty is an attorney born and raised in Salisbury. She brings valuable experience to the role, having served as Selectman for the past two years, and she has shown her commitment to the job by running once again as an unaffiliated candidate, which satisfies the political diversity requirement. She encourages in-person meetings, which are important for community building and participation, as opposed to meetings via Zoom.

Public service is an important component of Kitty’s life. She listens to her constituents and can be counted on to do all she can regarding our concerns.

Kitty cares very much for our community and will once again work tirelessly for us.

It is important that we all vote. Early voting started on October 20th.

Kristina Chandler

Stephanie Copeland

Elizabeth Cabot

Hilary Cooper

Ann Spoor

JoAnn Lunning

Susan McQuillan

Chany Wells

Salisbury

Vote for Don Mayland

My endorsement of Republican Don Mayland, who seeks to continue his six-year role as a past Town Selectman, is made not only because of his unmatched community service, including having been the president of a number of local organizations, but because of his political affiliation.

I don’t discount the professional experience of the two lawyers running against Don, one of whom is running again with no disclosed party affiliation and the other, a newcomer Democrat, who is general counsel for a global nonprofit with $104 million in revenue.

But Don has worked well with First Selectman Rand and will provide a beneficial balance to the Board of Selectmen. In short, help the Town by voting for the best qualified candidate, Don Mayland.

Peter Becket

Lakeville