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Bunny Williams’ Manor House Garden Tour
Christine Bates
May 20, 2026
A view of Bunny Williams’ garden.
Christine Bates
FALLS VILLAGE – In addition to the annual plant sale at Lime Rock Park, Trade Secrets weekend is known for its private garden tours, attracting design and garden enthusiasts from across the region. This year, tours were offered in Connecticut and New York.
Acclaimed designer and author Bunny Williams — who founded Trade Secrets more than twenty-five years ago as a way to support Project SAGE — opened her garden in Falls Village for two days over the weekend. The coveted tickets to step inside Williams’ expansive property sold out as soon as they were posted. The interest warranted an additional Sunday tour, with an estimated 900 total visitors between Saturday and Sunday.
Visitors wandered through Williams’ property, featuring a Greek Revival pool house, a modern studio and library with an expansive view of the Litchfield Hills, and woodland shade gardens leading to tall tulips in bloom.
Guests were thrilled to be greeted by Williams herself. The final stop was the greenhouse, filled with tropical plants beside the vegetable and cutting garden with neat rows of lettuce and tulips.
“Like any good garden, Trade Secrets thrives because it’s cared for,” Williams said. “Trade Secrets has always been about more than plants and antiques. It’s about what can grow when people come together for a purpose.”
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Fishing derby reels in younger set
John Coston
May 20, 2026
A young angler finds some shade as she casts into the pond at the Northwest Connecticut Rod and Gun Club May 17.
John Coston
NORTH CANAAN – The sun beamed down on more than three dozen young anglers on Sunday, May 17, at the Northwest Connecticut Rod and Gun Club’s annual junior fishing derby.
Bicycles lined up as prizes for winners in various age categories, while a table overflowed with smaller prizes for everyone who came out to fish.
Jim’s Bait & Tackle in East Canaan donated the bait, with more than 1,000 worms and 36 dozen minnows.
As the morning fishing got underway, there were hoots and hollers from across the pond whenever anyone hooked a fish, which included bass, trout, perch and blue gill. The occasional turtle found itself at the end of the line.
“I caught a turtle,” said Kelsey Barth, 6, of Torrington. When asked which bait she preferred, the answer came quickly and in brief. “Worm.”
Many of the 15-and-under competitors preferred worms, based on an informal survey.
Families lined the pond at the club’s location just south of the Becton Dickinson & Co. plant on Route 7 South. Parents and grandparents bounced in and out of lawn chairs to lend a hand when a line got entangled, or when a minnow wouldn’t comply with the hook.
Many young anglers took the hint and parked in a folding chair to wait it out in between casts.
“We love to do this every year,” said Holly Hunt, a member of the club who ran the event with many other volunteers. “It’s our future,” she said. “These children will keep coming back.”
Volunteers cooked hot dogs and hamburgers and some circled the pond to take fish measurements whenever there was a successful catch and release.
Winners by age groups were: Ellie Dionne, age 4 (bass, 15 inches); Oliver Ralph, age 3 (bass, 14.5 inches); Fiona Pattison, age 7, (bass, 13.5 inches); Lucas Treadeaux, age 9 (bass, 14.5 inches); Destini Hiller, age 15 (base, 10 inches); and Ben Sprague, age 11 (bass, 15 inches).
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Salisbury home prices decline while sales activity rises
Christine Bates
May 20, 2026
235 Main St., an apartment building on .93 acres next to Salisbury Central School that was built around 1900, sold for $745,300 in April 2026 in a private transaction.
Christine Bates
SALISBURY – The 12-month trailing median price for a single-family home in Salisbury, excluding condos, fell to $806,500 for the period ending April 30, 2026, down 28% from a year earlier.
The latest median was down from $1,127,000 for the 12 months ending April 30, 2025, and 10% below the $892,000 recorded for the comparable period ending April 30, 2024.
The number of single-family home salesfor the 12-month period ending April 30, 2026, rose to 50, up from 42 for the previous 12-month period in 2025.
Inventory was stable in mid-May, with 18 properties on the market compared with 19 a month earlier. The market continued to skew toward the high end, with 11 homes listed above $1 million and five below the median of $806,500.
Rentals were plentiful in mid-May, with 16 furnished summer homes still available. Similar to last year, four homes had been rented through realtors since January, with prices ranging from $5,600 per month to $37,000 for the summer season.
Salisbury Transfers in April
27 Robin Hill Lane -3 bedroom/2 bath home built in 1974 transferred by 27 Robin Hill Lane to Lemon Properties LLC in a private transfer recorded on April 10, 2026, for $310,000
235 Main Street – Apartment building with 9.5 baths sold by Wells Hill LLC to Lemon Properties LLC in a private transfer recorded on April 10, 2026, for $754,300
48 Long Pond Road – 3 bedroom/3 bath home sold by Gay Morris Trustee Gay Morris 2024 Revocable Living Trust to Joshua Halpert and Runnan Zhong for $1,150,000
60 White Hollow Road – Garage Unit 9 sold by LRP Garages LLC to Rabin Ephramin a private transfer recorded on April 20, 2026 for $350,000
Undermountain Road – 3.52 acres sold by William Halsch, Mary Elizabeth Howard and Peter Halsch to Christopher Lancto and Kathleen Devaney for $298,000
125 Washinee Heights Road – 3.29 acres sold by Donald Ronchi and Jane Ross to 127 WHR LLC in a private transfer recorded on April 24, 2026, for $2,702,000
99 Washinee Heights Road – 3 bedroom/3 bath on 3.2 acres sold by Estate of Patricia Medvecky to Donald Ronchi and Jane Ross for $2,702,000
11 Conklin Street – 3 bedroom/2 bath home on .65 acres sold by the Estate of John Michael Walsh to Kristine Jennings for $395,000
87 Canaan Road, Unit 2F – 2 bedroom/3 bath condo sold by Emily Vail to Peter and Sandra Oliver for $377,000
* Town of Salisbury real estate transfers recorded between April 1, 2026, and April 30, 2026, provided by Salisbury Town Clerk. Transfers without consideration are not included. Current market listings from Smart MLS and market statistics from InfoSparks. Note that recorded transfers may lag sales by a number of days. Compiled by Christine Bates, Real Estate Salesperson with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, Licensed in CT and NY.
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Falls Village Report warns of ‘Imminent Failure’ of Cobble Rd. bridge
Patrick L. Sullivan
May 20, 2026
FALLS VILLAGE – The Falls Village Board of Selectmen discussed several infrastructure issues during its May 11 meeting, including a newly released state report on the now-closed Cobble Road bridge.
First Selectman David Barger said the state Department of Transportation recently delivered a 66-page report to Town Hall.
“It’s quite extensive,” Barger said. “What it came down to is the bridge is buckling.”
The report is available for public review at Town Hall.
On page five of the report, the bridge’s superstructure received its lowest rating.
“IMMINENT FAILURE,” it reads. “Bridge is closed to traffic due to component condition. Repair or rehabilitation may return the bridge to service.”
The bridge bearings were rated “poor,” defined in the report as “widespread moderate or isolated defects; strength and/or performance of the component is affected.”
The bridge was closed indefinitely on March 30 following a state DOT inspection. At the time, Barger said the replacement project is eligible for full federal funding because the bridge is 120 feet long or more, which is the primary criterion for federal funding.
The current timeline calls for the bridge to reopen in 2030.
The town also has six additional bridges and culverts requiring work: Undermountain Road over Ledgy Brook, Undermountain Road over Deming Brook, Barnes Road over Wangum Lake Brook, Canaan Mountain Road over Wangum Lake Brook, Canaan Mountain Road over unnamed stream, and Music Mountain Road over Flat Brook.
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Kent BOF sends $16.9 million budget to voters after public hearing
Alec Linden
May 20, 2026
Kent Town Hall
Leila Hawken
May 29 vote would set mill rate at 17.34, an increase of 2.78%
KENT — The Kent Board of Finance has approved a proposed $16.9 million budget and sent it to voters for consideration at the town’s annual budget meeting on May 29, following a public hearing Friday, May 15.
If approved, the spending plan would set the fiscal year 2027 mill rate at 17.34, up 2.78% from the current rate of 16.87. For a property assessed at $350,000, the projected tax bill for fiscal year 2027 would be $6,069, up about $200.
The only change made following roughly an hour of public comment was the restoration of funding for a proposed boat decontamination station at Lake Waramaug, an initiative aimed at preventing hydrilla — an aggressive invasive aquatic weed — from entering the lake.
Under a long-standing agreement, Kent pays half of what Washington and Warren contribute toward lakewide projects. Kent’s share for the station was originally budgeted at $13,000, but the Board of Finance reduced it to $4,500 during an April 14 meeting after some members questioned the expense given that only three shoreline properties are located in Kent. Following Friday’s hearing, the BOF voted to restore the funding to the original amount.
The future of the historic Swift House also sparked debate during the hearing. The town has allocated capital funds toward the property for several years, drawing criticism from some residents who see it as a taxpayer burden and support from others who view it as a valuable community asset.
Earlier this spring, the BOF moved $200,000 in taxable funds tied to the project to 2032, removing the impact from this year’s tax bills, while another $225,000 remains in the five-year capital plan. After additional discussion Friday, the board chose not to make any further changes.
There were no comments or questions regarding the Board of Education budget, which totals $5,307,470 for Kent Center School, a 2.12% increase over the current year.
Regional education spending for Housatonic Valley Regional High School, approved separately in the May 5 Region One vote, totals $2,783,359 — a 6.57% increase. Combined, the town’s total education spending would rise to $8,090,829 under the proposed budget, up just over 3.5% from fiscal year 2026.
The Board of Selectmen’s proposed municipal operating budget totals $5,277,965, a 5.08% increase from the current year.
Kent taxpayers can vote on the spending plans at 6 p.m. at Town Hall on Friday, May 29.
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Police Blotter: Troop B
Lakeville Journal
May 20, 2026
Police Blotter: Troop B
John Coston
The following information was provided by the Connecticut State Police at Troop B. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Modified go-kart runs off road
On Friday, May 8, at approximately 3:30 p.m. Carson Riva, 16, of Canaan, was transported to Waterbury Hospital with injuries from a crash on Carlson Road in North Canaan when the Yerf-Dog go-kart with an Arctic Cat 440 engine he was driving lost control and ran off the road. Due to severity of injuries, Troop B troopers reported no action yet taken in the case.
U-turn ends in crash
Daniel Quezada Solano, 33, of Canaan was traveling eastbound on Greenwood Roads East just east of Ashpohtag Road in Norfolk on Sunday, May 10 at approximately 5:30 a.m. when he attempted a U-turn in his 2014 Ram 2500 pickup, traveling off the shoulder and striking a tree stump. He was transported to Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington by Norfolk Ambulance for suspected minor injuries.
Disorderly conduct arrest
Troop B troopers were dispatched to the Wildwood Inn on Route 272 in Norfolk on Monday, May 11, at approximately 4:45 p.m. on report of a disturbance. Sam Bell, 56, of Norfolk was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and scheduled to appear in Torrington Superior Court.
Collision in Sharon
On Monday, May 11 at approximately 3:30 p.m., Frederick Spoor, 81, of West Cornwall was traveling south on Route 7 in Sharon in a 2005 Jeep Liberty Sport while Krzysztof Haratyk, 46, of Torrington, was driving a 2008 Honda CR-V east on Route 4. Spoor’s Jeep proceeded into the eastbound lane of Route 4, causing a collision with the Honda. No injuries reported and Spoor was issued an infraction for failure to maintain lane.
Van strikes utility pole
On Friday, May 15 at approximately 3:15 p.m., Steven Gomez, 57, of Lakeville, was eastbound on Route 112 in Salisbury in a 2023 Ford Transit when he traveled off the road, striking a utility pole. Another vehicle, a 2025 Volkswagen Jetta driven by Joshua Gibson, 34, of Kerhonkson, New York, was forced to travel off the road and became stuck in mud on the westbound shoulder. Gomez was issued an infraction for failure to maintain lane.
Stop sign collision
Lawrence Carlson, 65, of North Canaan, was westbound on Route 7 in Canaan near Page Road in a 1995 Mack truck at approximately 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 16 when a 2009 Toyota Tacoma, driven by Jacob Ellison, 20, of Guilford, Conn., failed to observe a Stop sign. The Tacoma collided with the Mack. Ellison was issued a written warning for failure to obey a stop sign.
Motorcycle crash investigated
Nicholas Brazzale, 34, of Salisbury, was southbound on Route 7 in Salisbury in a 2016 Ford F250 at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 16 in the area of Lime Rock Road. John Cashman, 64, of Granby, riding a 2015 Harley-Davidson Street Glide motorcycle attempted to make a left turn from a Stop sign in front of the Ford, resulting in a collision. The incident is under investigation.
The Lakeville Journal will publish the outcome of police charges. Send mail to P.O. Box 1688, Lakeville, CT 06039, Attn: Police Blotter, or send to editor@lakeville
journal.com.
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