SHARON — Austin Barney, age 87, died peacefully on December 23, 2025. There will be a graveside service on Saturday, September 26th at 11:00AM at Ellsworth Cemetery in Sharon. All are welcome to join.
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Voices from our community about the housing we need for a healthy, vibrant future
Mary Close Oppenheimer
Sep 16, 2026
Jordan Seibert and Riley Bossi
Shelly Dinelle
There’s a reason people say, “It takes a village to raise a child.” To thrive, a child needs a safe, stable place to call home. That’s the bedrock for health, dignity, and the chance to build a bright future. What kind of “village” does it take to create these homes?
Motivated by compassion and a drive to make housing more accessible, it took the Foundation for Norfolk Living years of hard work to create ten affordable homes at Haystack Woods. The “village” turned out to be a patchwork of support that included financial help from the DOH, a construction mortgage through Northwest Community Bank, and a Community Development Block Grant to purchase the property and pay for the road and infrastructure. The result? Two- and three-bedroom homes reserved for first-time homebuyers earning 60-80% of Litchfield County’s median income, and selling for $159,000 to $261,000. The condominium homes are deed-restricted and net-zero thanks to energy-efficient construction, solar panels, and battery storage, meaning the homebuyers will have no energy costs! Curious? Just Google “Haystack Woods” to learn more. It’s a remarkable accomplishment.
More hard work has produced another remarkable accomplishment. Right after Jordan Seibert (22) graduated from college, she and her fiancé Riley Bossi (21) purchased one of the homes this summer. Neither had parental help, so both juggled commuting to classes, online courses, and multiple jobs to save up. Jordan graduated from Charter Oak State College, majoring in criminal justice, which she says “Is great for nonprofit work”. Riley will graduate next May from Central Connecticut University with a degree in computer science.
Jordan says, “There’s a good group here. I believe we’re the youngest owners by about 10 years. The other folks seem to be in their 30s. They have young kids, which is exciting. It’s a real community... This house will definitely allow us to put down roots and start growing... Lindsay, Kate and Lou Barbagallo at the Foundation, and even David Jones, the builder, were all super helpful...”
She also says, “The mortgage process was very simple, considering it seemed to be such a new project and idea... We really knew nothing and went in completely blind. We learned a lot through Webster Bank, who encouraged us and taught us what we needed to do to buy a house... We took an online homebuyer education course through the Housing Development Fund (HDF), and we also met with one of their counselors who advised us and made sure we were prepared for the home-buying process. The course was required for us to receive CHFA (The Connecticut Housing Finance Authority) assistance. Completing the required education allowed us to qualify for a reduced, fixed-rate mortgage of 5.875%... The Foundation also encouraged us to take a class for financial benefits to see, through the State, what we could be approved for - any help or benefits. And then, just on our own, we decided to take extra Zoom classes to get a better understanding of everything.”
Jordan emphasizes, “I really want to highlight the Foundation and how forward-thinking they were, and I want to thank them and everyone who was involved. Just the affordability, sustainability, and quality, all being hand in hand. It’s just a great idea, and they executed it perfectly. I can’t thank them enough. It’s so great. The home is beautiful. It’s in a perfect location. There are no issues, no problems. Everything is perfect!”
Mary Close Oppenheimer is a member of the Salisbury Affordable Housing Commission.
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Selectmen back $113,000 request for new ambulance
Patrick L. Sullivan
Sep 16, 2026
FALLS VILLAGE — The Board of Selectmen approved a request from the Fire Commission for $113,000 toward a new ambulance scheduled for delivery in November.
The selectmen acted during their regular monthly meeting Monday, Sept. 14.
The money would come from a town account designated for emergency services vehicles and equipment. The request now goes to the Board of Finance, which would refer it to a town meeting for final approval.
The ambulance will cost about $202,000, with the remaining $89,000 coming from Falls Village Volunteer Fire Department funds.
Andrea Downs, a member of the town’s volunteer ambulance squad, said new ambulances can cost as much as $450,000. The department instead chose a smaller, simpler and more maneuverable vehicle.
The squad’s last ambulance was added in 2000, she said.
The selectmen also approved a request from Nikki Blass, librarian at Lee H. Kellogg School, for $201.33 for new bookshelves.
First Selectman Dave Barger read a letter from 20 Pine Grove residents requesting signs or flashing lights where Pine Grove enters Belden Street, also known as Route 126. The residents said limited sight lines make it difficult to see oncoming traffic when turning onto Belden Street.
Barger expressed sympathy with the residents’ concerns but noted that Belden Street is a state road and the town has no authority over traffic-control measures there.
However, Barger said he is meeting with a state Department of Transportation official this week and will add the Pine Grove request to his list.
Hazel McGuire, who attended the meeting, asked whether the state official could also consider signs near Grassy Hill Cemetery on Route 126. Barger said he would add the request to his list.
Barger also reported that Cardinal Engineering is evaluating the Cobble Road culvert.
“By the time this is done, it will be the Seventh Wonder of the World,” he said.
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Former Miss Hall’s teacher from Norfolk pleads not guilty to sexual assault charges
Christian Murray
Sep 16, 2026
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A former Miss Hall’s School science teacher from Norfolk pleaded not guilty Thursday, Sept. 10, to three charges stemming from the alleged sexual assault of a student more than three decades ago, according to authorities.
Matthew Johnson, 70, was arraigned in Berkshire Superior Court on one count of assault with intent to rape and two counts of indecent assault and battery on a person over age 14, according to the Berkshire District Attorney’s office. A grand jury indicted him Aug. 20.
Johnson was released on personal recognizance. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Oct. 28 in Berkshire Superior Court.
Johnson taught science at Miss Hall’s School, a private boarding school in Pittsfield, from 1993 to 1994.
The alleged victim was a Miss Hall’s student at the time, prosecutors said.
Johnson is the third former Miss Hall’s staff member to be indicted in connection with investigations into alleged abuse at the school.
Former history teacher Matthew Rutledge, who worked at the school from 1991 until his resignation in 2024, was indicted in April and has pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape involving two former students.
Meanwhile, Jeannie Norris, former head of school from 1996 to 2012, was arraigned on one count of reckless endangerment of a child in August. She has also pleaded not guilty.
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Cornwall celebrates its agricultural heritage
Lakeville Journal
Sep 16, 2026
Tom Brown
Scenes from the 34th annual Cornwall Agricultural Fair, held Saturday, Sept. 12, on the town green.
Tom Brown
Tom Brown
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Children celebrate creativity at Scoville’s Dot Day
Patrick L. Sullivan
Sep 16, 2026
Julia Hobart, right, helped children sign up for a raffle at International Dot Day Sunday, Sept. 13.
Patrick L. Sullivan
SALISBURY — Children escaped the rain Sunday, Sept. 13, for an afternoon of ice cream, balloons, raffles, art projects and other activities at Scoville Memorial Library.
The library and Project SAGE hosted the event in celebration of International Dot Day, inspired by Peter H. Reynolds’ children’s book “The Dot.” Project SAGE is a Lakeville-based nonprofit domestic violence agency serving communities in Northwest Connecticut and nearby areas of New York and Massachusetts.
Angela Hall, marketing coordinator at Project SAGE, said, “The Dot” is about “creativity and courage.”
Participants were encouraged to decorate colored dot stickers however they wished. The collected dots will be assembled into a larger work of collaborative art.
Similar events are taking place across the United States and in 190 countries, Hall said.
Linda Ciano of Project SAGE said last year’s project, which used popsicle sticks as its basic unit, was so successful that the organization created seven artworks and presented them to the Region One schools.
Grassland Desserts in Lakeville made a special batch of “Dot”-themed ice cream sandwiches and donated both the treats and the use of a freezer to keep them cold.
Asked whether the ice cream freezer would become a permanent fixture, Scoville Director Karin Goodell laughed and said, “It probably should be.”
Goodell’s 3-year-old grandson, Arlo Schlaudt, worked intently on his own dots. He was concentrating so hard that his grandmother had to ask him a couple of times to look up for a photo.
Addison Southwick of Canine Link Therapy Dogs in Hillsdale, New York, brought two dogs to the event. One, Wrexy, a 4-year-old Bernese Mountain Dog, was particularly eager to greet everyone who came within sniffing distance.
As if ice cream, face painting and an international art project were not enough, youngsters were also entertained by Balloon Ben of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, who made balloon animals to order.
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Contra dancing lessons begin in Falls Village
Patrick L. Sullivan
Sep 16, 2026
Rachel Gall, right, provided the music for a contra dance lesson at the Center on Main Saturday, Sept. 12.
Patrick L. Sullivan
FALLS VILLAGE — Tom Scott and Rachel Gall drew a good turnout for the first in a series of three contra dancing lessons at the Center on Main on Saturday evening, Sept. 12.
Eleven people attended, enough to form six couples with Scott joining the dancers.
Before the lesson began, Scott described contra dancing as a “cross between square dancing and swing dancing.”
He also emphasized that contra dancing is not the same as line dancing.
“It’s the old-time barn dancing, with a caller and live music.”
A caller guides the dancers by announcing the steps and movements. Scott served as the caller, while Gall, also known as the Falls Village Fiddler, provided the music.
Once the group was assembled, Scott offered the same explanation to the participants before putting the lesson into practice.
It didn’t take long for the group to get the hang of it, and there was plenty of laughter as the dancers became accustomed to the rhythm and format.
Scott said, “There’s a lot of laughing, hand-holding, it’s very friendly.” He added, “I’ve danced in New York City and in the Maine backwoods. It’s always the same.”
Scott provided a list of weekly contra dances nearby, including events in Hillsdale, New York, and Housatonic, Lenox and Sheffield, Massachusetts.
The next session will be held Saturday, Oct. 10, at 6 p.m. at the Center on Main.
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