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FALLS VILLAGE — The Falls Village Volunteer Fire Department kicked off its 100th anniversary year with an open house at the Emergency Services Center Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024.
The fire department continued with events throughout the year, including an assembly of fire trucks and apparatus from all over the state at Housatonic Valley Regional High School and a informative lecture on arson investigation.
Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas visited Town Hall on Jan. 30, to award the Municipal Democracy Challenge Cup for the best voter turnout (68.7%) in the small town category in the 2023 election.
First Selectman Dave Barger thanked Thomas for the recognition and the town’s election officials and volunteers for their efforts.
The Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to adopt the 2024 Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) after a public hearing Thursday, Jan 25. Both the hearing and subsequent meeting were held online only.
The David M. Hunt Library sponsored a wide range of programs for all ages during 2024. A highlight was a unique exhibition of photographs that opened March 16.
The show, “From the Great Falls to the Hilltops: The Mabel Hallaway Collection of Early 20th Century Photography,”
The images came from a photo album and a box of glass slide and film negatives from the Falls Village-Canaan Historical Society.
The images were printed out using modern technology by Rika Laser, assisted by Sara Laser, Sergei and Zoe Fedorjaczenko, and Garth Kobal.
The exhibition opening was preceded by a presentation on glass slide photography with Daniel Karp of Bard College at Simon’s Rock.
In December, after three years of operation, the Falls Village Cafe closed at the town-owned 107 Main Street. The Board of Selectmen quickly found a new tenant, Liz Ives of Salisbury, who also plans to run a cafe. A public hearing is necessary but the selectmen did not set a date at their December meeting.
The Center on Main, under the leadership of Rebecca Bloomfield, expanded the offerings and activities at the venerable space, including the monthly “Big Talk” (as opposed to small talk), a singing circle, drop-in art making, ongoing music lessons with Brook Martinez, the recent Holiday Extravaganza and hosting Taekwando three times per week.
And, of course, the Center hosted the productions of the Falls Village Children’s Theater, whose “Jungle Book” was a major success in 2024.
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Tom Zetterstrom shows off the state champ apple tree to HVRHS’s Envirothon Team.
Alec Linden
SHARON — 2024 was a big year for Sharon’s natural and protected landscapes, which achieved victories, suffered losses and became sites of legal controversy.
Just one month into the year, a cherished sugar maple that stood at 60 Millerton Rd. for nearly three hundred years was felled for threats to power lines. Despite the loss of an integral piece of the town’s natural history, Sharon’s stately trees made a comeback in the fall when a common apple tree on the Sharon Land Trust’s Hamlin Preserve was declared the state champion of its species by CT Notable Trees, joining a nearby Chinkopin oak as Sharon’s second tree to win the title.
The Hamlin Preserve was abuzz with activity this year, with local nature photographer and environmental educator Tom Zetterstrom joining forces with SLT in leading a campaign to fight the spread of invasive bittersweet on the preserve where it had already strangled a cedar forest. Zetterstrom used the site as a case study to train the HVRHS Envirothon team in invasive plant management as its members prepare to try and represent Connecticut for the 11th time in the national competition later in 2025.
Aside from managing invasives, SLT kept busy. In October, it was announced that the Posey family donated 128 acres to the Trust, which will ensure it is protected as agricultural land in perpetuity as the Posey Family Preserve.
Elsewhere in town, however, historic farmlands were in trouble. Two separate parcels, known as the Paley Farm and Turkiewicz Farm, have been bought and are being developed into residences despite having been protected by agricultural easements since the 1980s. SLT and concerned resident Carol Flaton filed an injunction to stop construction on the farms, and are continuing to fight in court.
While lands were being disputed in the hills, culture was booming on Main St. The Voice of Art’s Fine Art Festival went down on a sunny September afternoon, with artists of all disciplines showcasing their craft under the grand façade of the newly-renovated Hotchkiss Library.
The Library, whose resign was completed in the summer of 2023, was honored in the October/September 2024 American Libraries issue “2024 Library Design Showcase” for its melding of its historic charm with contemporary infrastructure. According to newly-appointed board president Lorna Edmundsson, the library is “bucking the trends” afflicting other libraries with high subscription rates and a packed schedule of programming.
2024 also saw the BOS and other commissions act to improve municipal life in town. In February, Sharon received a grant of $1.1 million from the state’s Transportation Rural Improvement Program to repair degrading sidewalks around the green. In May, the volunteer-run Sharon Connect Task Force saw the completion of its project with Comcast Xfinity to bring high-speed internet to 270 previously unserved locations in town.
It marks yet another careful step into the future for Sharon, a town whose leaders and residents alike seek modern amenities without sacrificing its rural charm or historic character.
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Cornwall kept active all year long
Dec 30, 2024
2024 in Cornwall began with a visit from Gov. Ned Lamont (D) at Mohawk Mountain, Jan. 11.
Riley Klein
CORNWALL — Looking back on the past 12 months, Cornwallians had a busy year filled with activity.
The year began with a visit from Governor Ned Lamont Jan. 11 to announce an intiative promoting outdoor recreation at state venues. Lamont cited Mohawk Mountain, a private ski lodge situated within a state park, as a prime model for public-private recreation ventures in Connecticut.
“We can make sure we bring people to our parks and maximize use out of that,” said Lamont. “You can come and really enjoy yourself here.”
Cornwall Park and Recreation proceeded to launch an indoor pickleball program for the winter months. Players filled the courts at Cornwall Consolidated School each Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m.
If that wasn’t enough to get the blood pumping, Cornwallians saw red when incidents of mail theft began occurring at blue drop boxes in the winter. Jim Young was the victim of a stolen and cashed check for nearly $4,000, and he was one of several.
In February, Cornwall was awarded a TRIP (Transportation Rural Improvement Program) grant for $868,000 to construct new sidewalks and traffic control measures in West Cornwall and Cornwall Village. First Selectman Gordon Ridgway said the goal in each section of town is to increase pedestrian safety and slow traffic down in those areas, particularly in West Cornwall.
As winter gave way to spring, the Little Guild animal shelter broke ground on a new multimillion dollar facility in West Cornwall. The project saw the old facility demolished in favor of a new 8,000 square foot state-of-the-art animal shelter. In the interim, the staff has set up temporary trailers and pens at Foote Field.
In May, Cornwall Consolidated School’s seventh graders earned state recognition for a civics project. Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas awarded the school with the “Red, White and Blue” distinction thanks to the group’s research on the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Repairing stormwater damage was a recurring theme in 2024 with retaining walls and culverts being replaced around town. To address the impact of a turbulent climate and better plan for the future, Cornwall Planning and Zoning Commission hosted Trinkaus Engineering’s Steven Trinkaus for an info session at Cornwall Library July 10.
“The goal really is to have a site ... that acts like a forest or a meadow, which is what it was before you put a shovel in the ground,” said Trinkaus.
In autumn, the CCS Walk-A-Thon returned for its 20th year. Students trekked the hills of Cornwall for a cause, raising money for the class trip as well as the New York Marine Rescue Center.
Cornwall Transfer Station set up a fund for victims of hurricane victims in Asheville, North Carolina. Ted Larson and Dave Williamson traveled down with all the collected supplies in November and saw firsthand the level of destruction in the area.
Following the presidential election, Cornwall achieved the top voter turnout rate in the state with approximately 90% of active registered voters casting their ballots.
“I do believe we get a trophy for that,” said Ridgway.
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Patrick L. Sullivan
Members of the Salisbury Winter Sports Association came to Salisbury Central School Thursday, Dec. 19, to promote the ski jump program for children and teenagers. Islay Sheil, a sophomore at Housatonic Valley Regional High School and, at age 15, a veteran jumper, demonstrated the proper crouch on a wheeled board before the students gave it a try.
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