Little, the new big

Small dogs: A lot of people believe that small dogs do not know they are small. This is why they will try to take on much larger breeds. Personally, I think it may be a Napoleon complex, the need to prove themselves equal or better than the bigger guys. I would like to help them.I am thinking of starting a self-esteem camp for small breeds in which they get to do all the stuff the large breeds do. Of course it is not realistic to expect that a 5-pound Yorkshire terrier can equal say, a 60-pound malemute. In my camp we will have dog sledding, but instead of malemutes and huskies we will have the equivalent in Yorkies and chihuahuas. So let’s see, 8 x 60 pounds equals 480 pounds of huskies divided by 5 pounds equals 96 little dogs. Sure, it will take a bit to get them all pulling together, but just think how good they will feel at the end of the day — once they get untangled, that is.How about some police dog training? Piranha-like my 16 pip-squeaks (80 pounds divided by 5 pounds) will engulf the perp and bring him down. One of the advantages here is that unlike a German shepherd, which can be stopped with one good shot, the bad guy won’t have time to get them all before they have him hamstrung.Search and rescue? My 16 dogs will cover more ground in 10 minutes than your average bloodhound will cover in a day. They can get into those impossibly tight places that little children are so good at finding, too. You might want to dye them in bright colors to make them a little easier to find at the end of the task, or you could glue those little visibility flag antennae onto their little craniums.Watchdog? What could be better? This is one case where we can use the little guys where their bigger cousins cannot even function. Let’s say you are going to be in a crowd and you are worried someone might snatch your purse or pick your pocket. Just put your valuables in that PBS tote bag and pop your Pekingese in there with them. Now just wait for the fun to begin as Benny the Dip tries to lift your billfold.Little dogs are famous for giving copious kisses. That is not really what they are doing. If a dog licks your hand, he is probably being affectionate. When they lick around your mouth they are exhibiting puppy behavior, trying to get the adult to regurgitate its food so they can eat. Eeewww!Now that you are aware of this, it just might work.Bill Abrams resides (with his 75-pound dog) in Pine Plains.

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Father Joseph Kurnath

LAKEVILLE — Father Joseph G. M. Kurnath, retired priest of the Archdiocese of Hartford, passed away peacefully, at the age of 71, on Sunday, June 29, 2025.

Father Joe was born on May 21, 1954, in Waterbury, Connecticut. He attended kindergarten through high school in Bristol.

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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).

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

Cyclists head south on the rail trail from Copake Falls.

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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.

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