WEST CORNWALL — Nancy (McCullough) Griggs, 90, beloved wife, mother, sister, grandmother and great-grandmother, died May 2, 2011, at Geer Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in North Canaan. She was a former resident of West Cornwall.She was born May 29, 1920, in Summerville, Pa., the daughter of Helen and Mark McCullough. She graduated from Lewisburg High School in Lewisburg, Pa., where she was salutatorian of the class of 1938. She was a graduate of Bucknell University, class of 1942. In December 1942, she married her college sweetheart, David Griggs, who predeceased her in 2008.Nancy lived for many years in Westchester County, N.Y., and retired to West Cornwall in 1976, where she was active in the United Church of Christ in Cornwall and in the community. She was a volunteer at Geer Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. She and her husband also enjoyed time in Sarasota, Fla.She is survived by her four children, Nancy Berry and her husband, Bill, Cynthia Lewis and her husband, David, Richard Griggs and his wife, Bianca, and Sara Taylor and her husband, Kent; four grandchildren, Bethany (Berry) Folds and her husband, Patrick, William Berry and his wife, Erin, Jonathan Berry and James Taylor; and six great-grandchildren, Ryan, Henry and Sam Berry and Rowan, Jonah and Charlie Folds.She was predeceased by her brother, the Rev. Mark M. McCullough; her sister, Jane Johns; and a grandson, Daniel Berry.Nancy will be dearly missed for her deep love for her family, her gentle, caring nature, her concern for others, her wonderful piano playing and her dry sense of humor.Services were held May 9 at the United Church of Christ in Cornwall. Memorial donations in her name may be sent to the United Church of Christ in Cornwall, 8 Bolton Hill Road, Cornwall, CT 06753.Arrangements are under the care of the Newkirk-Palmer Funeral Home in North Canaan.
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Turning Back the Pages - September 3, 2026
Norma Bosworth
Sep 01, 2026
125 years ago — 1901
What Lakeville needs is a good ambitious dog catcher and a Frankfurter factory. Too much dog.
Mrs. Barbary Leddy of Mount Carmel died last Friday of mosquito bites. She was literally tormented to death. Her body was a mass of bites and she scratched the surface on her leg until a vein opened and she bled to death.
A stalk of field corn 14 feet high was left at this office this week. Twas grown by Ernest Wooden of Chapinville on the old Lee farm owned by the Scoville family.
FOR SALE — The “Polly Reed” place so called, situated near Lakeville, consisting of 10 acres of land and large house thereon. For terms inquire of Donald T. Warner, trustee.
LIME ROCK — An eleven-pound boy, now a week old, is at the home of Michael Dunn. If the stork continues to favor this village as it has of late, a baby show can be easily arranged next spring.
LIME ROCK — The big white stone beside the road on Town Hill has been buried and a stalk of golden rod planted upon the grave. A commendable job, as some horses were afraid of the bowlder.
LIME ROCK — Mike Hickey, a charcoal teamster, left his team standing hitched to a load of coal last Saturday, then went back in the woods to help another wagon. There was live coal in the load. It soon blazed up and singed the horses. They started down the mountain on a run and it looked as if the devil was out for a ride. The horses finally got loose from the load, but the wagon and coal were destroyed.
100 years ago — 1926
Home made stills continue to turn out raw booze. We suppose they are called stills because after drinking their output, the drinker is apt to be still for the rest of eternity.
50 years ago — 1976
CANAAN — Six young men have recently cleaned a portion of the Blackberry River of debris and logjams which were causing flooding problems. They were employed under the Federal government’s Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) project. The program employed five area boys, Mike Novicki of Canaan, John and Tom Warner of Canaan, Peter Schultz of Lakeville and Ivan Barron of Canaan. They were supervised by Mike Magistrali of Torrington. They worked for the town of Canaan at various jobs throughout the summer and received $2.31 an hour and worked 35 hours a week.
A House Subcommittee heard only favorable testimony Friday in Washington D.C. on a proposed bill to study the Housatonic River for possible inclusion in the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers System, according to the office of U.S. Rep. Toby Moffett (D-6th).
LAKEVILLE — Edward E. Kleinschmidt, who makes his summer home on Twin Lakes, will celebrate his 101st birthday next Thursday with a quiet dinner party with his family. Mr. Kleinschmidt, a pioneer in the field of electronic communications, is the inventor of the first teletype machine. He was active in the field of telecommunications until his 95th year. Still active, he likes to dine out every evening and spends his summers in Connecticut and his winters in Florida.
A clean attic and more than $6,700 in the coffers were the results of the auction last Saturday at the Holley-Williams House, a historic home owned and maintained by the Salisbury Association.
It seems there are escargots in Lake Wononscopomuc, not just snails. The gastropod mollusks, which some residents had suspected of being a factor in the annoying epidemic of “lake bites” suffered by swimmers earlier in the summer, have turned out to be “a delicacy, and very edible,” according to the town’s former health director, Dr. Henry Gallup. The sudden elevation of the snails to gourmet-food status apparently resulted from a visit by staff members of the state Department of Health last Wednesday. Dr. Gallup said the mollusks have been labeled as “Japanese mystery snails.”
FALLS VILLAGE — A well-kept secret met its demise Aug. 25th with the announcement that Meredith and Marion Bierce, twin brother and sister, have celebrated their 70th birthdays. Miss Bierce said the subject of their age has been a matter of much speculation among neighborhood children who have ventured many a guess. One youngster observed that since the Bierces are now a great-great aunt and uncle, they “must be really old.” Mr. Bierce has spent most of his life as a dairy farmer in the Northwest Corner, and “retired” from that profession 10 years ago. He immediately found employment in New Hartford, shaping the necks for guitars. He said “I’ll never retire until I have to. What’s the use of sitting around?” Miss Bierce made a home for her brother over the years, taking care of the house, and occasionally babysitting neighborhood children, a practice she gave up only a few years ago. “Mostly I just got the dishes dirty and then I cleaned them up,” she said with a wide smile.
CANAAN — Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Gandolfo Sr. of Route 44 in East Canaan, were guests of honor this weekend at a party celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. Mr. and Mrs. Gandolfo were married Aug. 26, 1926, in old St. Joseph’s Church on North Elm Street.
Bicron Electronics’ new addition added 5000 square feet to the Canaan manufacturer’s plant space. According to a spokesman for the company, the project was undertaken because it was thought to be a good idea to make physical additions for the future now, when business is slow. President Fred Kent said the company is optimistic about opportunities in the economy, although it will be “rough sledding.”
25 years ago — 2001
New Yorkers and other out-of-staters flocked to Connecticut last weekend with the hope of purchasing the winning ticket for the near-record $295 million drawing in the Powerball game. Convenience stores and package stores along the border of New York were kept busy with a steady stream of business. “This is worse than the last time. It’s a zoo,” Walt Gisselbrecht, manager of the Lakeville Patco store, said Saturday afternoon.
SALISBURY — Jacqueline Kuhn teaches high school in Washington, D.C. She came back to Amesville at the end of the school year to visit her parents, Anita and Jack Kuhn, but she didn’t take a bus or plane. She walked. On July 15, Ms. Kuhn had a friend drive her to Harper’s Ferry, W. Va., and the next morning she set off on the Appalachian Trail. Thirty-one days later, she crossed the Housatonic River at Falls Village and walked to her home on Sugar Hill Road. She had walked 470 miles.
State Sen. Andrew Roraback (R-30) has completed his seventh session in the General Assembly without missing a vote on the floor. Mr. Roraback was present and cast his vote 493 times on the Senate floor during this year’s regular and special sessions. He was required by Senate rules to abstain from three votes for which he was present. “My constituents work hard and I try my best to emulate the standard they set in my work in Hartford,” he said. “It is impossible for me to represent my constituents unless I am present to cast my vote.”
These items were taken from The Lakeville Journal archives at Salisbury’s Scoville Memorial Library, keeping the original wording intact as possible.
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Kent residents to revisit proposed food truck ban
Alec Linden
Sep 01, 2026
KENT – On Sept. 14, Kent residents will once again have the chance to weigh in on a controversial proposed ordinance that would ban food trucks across town.
The legislation was tabled during a July 29 meeting after residents said they were confused by certain provisions in the draft language. Several other proposed ordinances were approved at the meeting.
As written, the ordinance would ban commercial food truck operations anywhere in town, except when trucks are temporarily hired for short-term private or town events.
Residents took issue with how public and private events would be treated differently. Under the proposed ordinance, food trucks operating at private events would not be permitted to sell food to individual customers, while trucks brought in by the town would.
“Why is it good for here, but not good for there?” resident Mike Gawel asked during the July meeting.
Residents will have another opportunity to voice their thoughts and concerns at the Sept. 14 meeting. The idea of a food truck ban has bounced between town agencies for years, but no enforceable legislation has been adopted. Most support for such a law has come from restaurant owners, who have argued that food trucks create unfair competition because they are not subject to the property taxes and other overhead costs faced by brick-and-mortar businesses.
The current proposal follows local crepe maker Grégoire Pye’s effort to secure a semi-permanent location for his food truck business earlier this year. At the time, he said the town had been inhospitable to his business, leading him to consider leaving Kent entirely.
The public meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, with an option to attend online via Zoom. It will also include a discussion of a proposal to move the town’s Veterans Memorial from its current location outside Swift House to a new site next to Town Hall.
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North Canaan’s BD syringe advances to ‘Coolest Thing Made’ quarterfinals
Debra A. Aleksinas
Sep 01, 2026
NORTH CANAAN — The BD plastic disposable syringe has advanced to the quarterfinals of the Connecticut Business & Industry Association’s 2026 Coolest Thing Made in Connecticut competition, narrowing the field from 16 products to eight.
BD’s North Canaan-made syringe defeated Tilt-N-Deploy, manufactured by Poly-Tech America of Cheshire, in the opening round. It now faces the Calzone Go Live Workstation, manufactured by Calzone Case Co. of Bridgeport.
The bracket-style contest highlights products manufactured in Connecticut. Sixteen products face off in public voting rounds, with the winner of each matchup advancing until one is named the state’s “Coolest Thing Made.”
Quarterfinal voting is underway at cbia.com/coolest-thing. Voters may cast one vote per day during each round. The winner will be announced Oct. 1 at CBIA’s Made in Connecticut 2026 Manufacturing Summit at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford.
The BD syringe is the first product from a manufacturer in Connecticut’s Northwest Corner to earn a place in the three-year-old competition, according to CBIA officials.
BD’s 385,000-square-foot North Canaan facility is the Northwest Corner’s largest employer, with about 500 full-time workers and nearly 50 contingent associates. The plant has manufactured syringes for more than six decades and produces approximately 2.5 billion annually, supporting patient care in more than 70 countries.
“I truly believe this is the coolest thing made not only in Connecticut, but in the world,” said Zane VanWagoner, BD Canaan’s senior operations manager.
Other quarterfinalists include toothpaste, a brass Santa Claus button, a satellite propellant isolation valve, a three-wheeled roadster, a robotic-assisted surgery system and kielbasa.
Electric Boat’s Virginia-class submarine won the inaugural competition in 2024. Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense of Simsbury won last year for its Frangible Joint.
For North Canaan, BD’s advancement keeps alive the Northwest Corner’s bid for its first championship in a competition celebrating Connecticut manufacturing and the people behind the products.
“BD patients, every second somewhere in the world, are being serviced by this,” said Ahmad Warraich, BD Canaan plant manager, referring to the syringe.
“Our people know that this is the reason we are here. Our people know that the world depends on us.”
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Salisbury Volvo mechanic marks 42 years
John Coston
Sep 01, 2026
Steve Ohlinger, next to a body-modified 1980 Volvo 240. He has serviced Volvos and other makes at The Auto Shop in Salisbury for more than four decades.
John Coston
SALISBURY — Steve Ohlinger celebrated 42 years last week as a mechanic with a special touch for Volvos, building a wide following among Swedish-car aficionados in the Northwest Corner and beyond.
The Auto Shop sits on a quarter-acre lot behind LaBonne’s on Railroad Street, marked by a row of vintage Volvos parked nose-in along the property.
Ohlinger took over the shop in 1984, the same year a fire destroyed Salisbury Town Hall. He kept the name used by the previous owners.
Ohlinger had moved to town from Yorktown Heights, New York. His wife knew Salisbury a little, and he was familiar with the racetrack at Lime Rock Park, so he responded to an ad in Autoweek.
Little by little, his customer base grew as his wife made connections through the library and church and he joined the church bell choir. It was his first attempt at running a business.
“My father thought I had a lot of nerve,” he said.
“My reputation grew, and business slowly took off, and I’m still in the bell choir,” he said.
For years, Ohlinger used the business to support his interest in auto racing. He competed at Lime Rock Park, winning two events in his class.
Ohlinger is also known for speaking his mind. Beside the row of cars outside the shop, a large sign reads “No War,” accompanied by other political messages.
“I was told back in the beginning, when Reagan was president, ‘Don’t put up political signs.’ But I did anyway,” Ohlinger said.
Although Volvos are his specialty, Ohlinger services a variety of makes. Karen Kellogg, a customer for 15 years, pulled into the shop recently in her Honda Element.
“Steve’s always good with the answers,” Kellogg said, noting that he had cared for her previous car, a Volvo 240 station wagon, for years.
Ohlinger said most older Volvos can still be repaired and that the 240 models remain fully capable of cross-country travel.
“I got a part from Sweden the other day. I just called up, and they said they had the part,” he said.
“A lot of people are thrilled we’re still here,” Ohlinger said.
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Hayes criticizes Trump, outlines priorities at Sharon gathering
Ruth Epstein
Sep 01, 2026
State Rep. Maria Horn, U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes and 30th Senatorial candidate Aaron Zimmer attend a Democratic event in Sharon Thursday.
Ruth Epstein
SHARON — U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes discussed education, health care, immigration, voting rights and other national issues Thursday during a gathering with supporters at a constituent’s home in Sharon.
“We are facing a future different from one we have ever had before,” said Hayes, a Democrat who has represented Connecticut’s 5th Congressional District since 2019. “We have to be bold and unapologetic to reverse some of the cruelty of this administration.”
Hayes is seeking a fifth term in November against Republican challenger Chris Shea.
Hayes called many of her House colleagues “cowards,” saying they privately express dissatisfaction with the Trump administration, “but it means nothing if they give him a pass and don’t hold him to some accountability.”
Hayes accused President Donald Trump of being the most corrupt president in history and described him as “narcissistic.”
A former Waterbury public school teacher, Hayes spoke about her commitment to education and student welfare. She serves on House committees overseeing education and agriculture.
“My committee on education is jumping. Everything is being attacked and eroded on every level,” she said.
Hayes then announced publicly for the first time that she plans to seek the chairmanship of the education committee.
“This moment calls for different leadership, a different response,” she said. “People are happy I’m a teacher. Education saved my life. I’m up for the challenge and ready to do the job. My resolve is strong and my commitment is firm.”
Hayes said she has advocated for nutrition programs through an education subcommittee, adding that “hungry kids don’t learn.”
She also discussed environmental protection, saying she helped preserve 40 miles of the Housatonic and Farmington rivers, and identified health care as another priority.
Addressing other national issues, Hayes said Americans should be concerned about voting rights and immigration.
“We have normalized how this country operates. It’s about rewriting history.”
Hayes said two things can be true at the same time when discussing U.S. support for Israel. She said Israel can be supported without giving Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a blank check.
She also expressed gratitude for the support she has received since first being elected, including large and small campaign donations.
“The day after I was elected, I became everyone’s congresswoman.”
State Rep. Maria Horn, a Democrat representing the 64th District, also attended the gathering and praised Hayes’ work on behalf of her constituents. Horn, who is seeking a fifth term, and Hayes discussed their work with area farmers and concerns about the effect of the Trump administration’s immigration policies on farmworkers.
Aaron Zimmer of Brookfield, a Democratic candidate for the 30th Senate District seat held by Republican Stephen Harding, also attended.
During a question-and-answer period, one attendee asked Hayes how Trump could have been elected twice.
Hayes responded by listing several accomplishments of the Biden administration and discussing what she viewed as the resentment underlying some political divisions.
“Many believe if you’re helping someone else, you’re taking something away from me. This goes beyond policy differences; this is just mean.”
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Sharon Boards still at odds over education funding
Alec Linden
Sep 01, 2026
Sharon Center School
File photo
SHARON — Nearly two months after Sharon voters settled a contentious school budget debate, the town’s Board of Finance and Board of Education are working to improve communication. While the boards are approaching common ground, including on the state minimum budget requirement—a central sticking point in the budget discussions this past spring and summer—differences remain as to how tight to keep the bottom line.
Voters at a town hall meeting in May initially rejected the education budget before approving a revised plan in late June.
At the center of the debate was the minimum budget requirement, or MBR. The state law generally prevents municipalities from budgeting less for education than they did in the previous fiscal year.
Board of Finance members have said for several budget cycles that an accounting error years ago caused the school appropriation to be set unnecessarily high. They contend that the inflated baseline contributed to unspent balances at the end of subsequent school years and could make future reductions difficult under the MBR.
With that concern in mind, the Board of Finance has resisted increases in education spending in recent years.
At an Aug. 10 Board of Education meeting, Terry Vance, chairman of the board’s budget subcommittee, argued that the MBR should not dominate budget discussions. Vance said the town has sufficient financial resources, and noted that other towns in the Region One school district have raised their school budgets at times without placing the same emphasis on the requirement.
The Board of Finance, however, offered a different assessment at its Aug. 18 meeting.
Member Carol Flaton said rising costs have narrowed the amount of money left unspent in recent years, meaning the MBR may play a smaller role in future budget discussions. She and other members nevertheless rejected the argument that Sharon’s relative wealth means it can readily increase spending.
Flaton said Sharon’s wealth also limits the state assistance it receives. For fiscal year 2027, the town received just under $30,000 through the state’s Education Cost Sharing program, which distributes aid based on factors including enrollment, property wealth, and household income.
Sharon received the smallest allocation of any Connecticut municipality, with several other Region One towns receiving similarly limited amounts, according to data from the School and State Finance Project, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that advocates for public education in Connecticut.
Finance board member Michele Pastre said the town’s overall wealth also masks substantial differences among households. Budget decisions, she said, must account for residents with lower incomes who may struggle to absorb higher property taxes.
Pastre said that some argue that residents can afford to pay more. “No, we can’t,” she said. “There are a lot of people who can’t.”
In late August, BOE Chair Philip O’Reilly said that it is his board’s duty both to the school and taxpayers to strike a balance. “We’re not guided by a dollar percent,” he said, “we’re guided by the needs of the children, and we are also aware that we have fiscal responsibility.”
He said that even as the MBR may not play as much of a role in upcoming budget discussions, other challenges remain, such as a long-term capital needs analysis report that will be reviewed in September. A new study about the Region One school district is also likely to contribute to future talks as well, O’Reilly said.
The bottom line, he said, is that the two boards need to work with one another to avoid what happened in June. “We understand that the budget process has to start right away,” he said.
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