NORTH CANAAN — The times they are a-changing in North Canaan.
With a fresh selectmen administration, a nod from voters to permit cannabis licenses, and a range of new business development in town, the revitalization of North Canaan was in full swing in 2023.
The municipal election drew considerable interest last year with 58.5% of registered voters turning out to make their voices heard. Brian Ohler, former state representative (R-64), won the open seat of first selectman against Christian Allyn. Jesse Bunce joined the board and Craig Whiting was reelected to a fourth term as selectmen.
“We have our own vision now and it’s going to take a little bit to implement that. But I’m confident with Craig and Jesse we can work together and we can be the team that North Canaan needs,” said Ohler during the first meeting of the new board.
On voting day, North Canaan narrowly approved recreational cannabis sales in town. A 17-vote margin was confirmed by recount and has subsequently opened the door for prospective marijuana entrepreneurs in the Northwest Corner. A rough timeline from the Planning and Zoning Commission aimed for February 2024 as the target to have regulations in place.
The revitalization on Railroad Street continued last year, and neon lights from Colonial Theatre’s marquee once more brighten downtown North Canaan. The historic movie house had been shuttered since 1997 except for an extensive refurbishment and brief revival in the early 2000s.
Now the excitement is returning. In April, Lenore and Marc Mallett and David and Stacey Fiorillo, two Salisbury couples, purchased the old theater, rolled up their sleeves, and plotted a future designed to bring life and activity back to downtown Canaan.
Union Station’s lights are shining a bit brighter, too, since the November 2023 opening of the Art Bar & Cafe by owner Chris Tripler. The wine bar features local artists in its Community Gallery.
Art Bar & Cafe manager Melanie Teardo said the addition to downtown North Canaan brings “something unique to the area. Definitely nice to have a little bit of night life around here.”
She said it creates “a sense of community” among local artists. “You don’t have to be an expert painter to be a part of it.”
Ilse Coffee opened a cafe in the old location of Jim’s Garage on Railroad Street. The light-filled and airy space is a testament to the dedication of its founders, Rebecca Grossman and Lucas Smith. They transformed the old garage into a bright and cozy spot for coffee lovers, an open-concept space that showcases their entire production.
“This is kind of where the journey started,” Grossman said, “so it’s a very cool coming home.”
Eagle Scout candidate Dylan Deane completed the creation and installation of four directional signs across town. The high-quality blue road signs direct motorists to points of interest as they enter North Canaan.
“It went from paper to reality,” Scout Deane said as he thanked numerous sponsors that contributed to the project. “Sometimes I thought it would never happen.”
Despite the change, timeless town traditions persevered throughout the year. Students of North Canaan Elementary School (NCES) added a northern catalpa to their school’s arboretum on Arbor Day. For the 33rd year, NCES celebrated the annual tradition before a crowd of relatives and loved ones.
For the 59th time, Railroad Days rolled into Union Station for 10 days of summertime splendor. The celebration included a full menu of events ranging from train rides to bed racing and just about everything in between.
Led by Grand Marshal Charles Perotti, the Parade of Canaan marched through the center of town on July 15, showcasing 24 fire companies from across the region along with local businesses and organizations. Floats from Great Falls Brewery, William Perotti & Sons, United Ag & Turf, 711 Racing Team, and the Railway Express captivated crowds as they flowed down Main Street.
Some change in 2023 was met with resistance. A proposed 20-lot subdivision along the Housatonic River has sparked outcry from environmentalists seeking to conserve the Wild and Scenic River corridor.
“This proposal perplexes me and saddens me. To commit 20 houses to be built on Honey Hill river frontage would allow the developer to take private financial advantage of a public resource that the Housatonic River Commission worked to protect for 40 years,” said Tom Zetterstrom.
The public hearing on the subdivision application will continue in 2024.
Will the midterms matter?
James Speyer
With the midterm elections less than two weeks away, Democrats are heavily favored to take control of the House of Representatives and slightly favored to take control of the Senate. Both sides have described the election in near-apocalyptic terms. Professor Timothy Snyder, author of “On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century,” maintains that it is “probably the most consequential election since the eighteenth century.” Mike Johnson, the Republican Speaker of the House, calls it the “most important” election in United States history.
But will it really make that much of a difference? After all, regardless of who wins, a convicted fraudster/sexual predator/insurrectionist will still occupy the Oval Office for two more years, and he will still be capable of inflicting immense damage on our democracy and the world. This is the man who, just in the past week or so:
• Openly supported the murderous dictator Putin in his war to take over our democratic ally Ukraine, both by lifting existing sanctions on Russia’s sale of diesel fuel and by refusing to implement new Russia sanctions in a bill that he just signed into law last month. This revolting turn of events was described by numerous Republican senators as “a gift to our adversary and a betrayal of our allies.”
• Authorized a dawn raid on the home of a sitting Congresswoman by the Department of Homeland Security in an effort to strip her of her citizenship and deport her. Congresswoman Omar, who became a citizen 26 years ago, has long been an outspoken Trump critic and a target of his racist rants, and the raid was a naked display of retribution, persecution and intimidation.
• Called for the execution of government employees who leak sensitive information to the press, and told a crowd at his rally that journalists were “almost as bad.”
• Posted snuff films online of people being mauled and killed by animals.
And yet, there is reason to believe that the outcome of the midterms will very much matter. In practical terms, control of the House would give Democrats control of all House committees. This would give them the power to conduct investigations, compel testimony and the production of documents, and hold public hearings. To be sure, shining a light on and further uncovering the depredations of Trump and his administration would not by itself result in accountability. But it would be an important first step towards accountability.
Among other things, a Democratic victory would enable Congress to investigate this administration’s unprecedented carnival of corruption and self-enrichment. A tiny fraction of these activities includes the $420 million 747 Trump accepted from a foreign country, the funding of his son’s wedding by a Russian mobster with close ties to Putin, the increase in Trump’s net worth while in office by over $3 billion, Kimberly Guilfoyle’s shakedown of a donor to pay her $100,000 AMEX debt, border czar Tom Homan’s acceptance of $50,000 in a paper bag from undercover FBI agents, Jared Kushner’s numerous business deals in the Middle East and with Russia while he serves as Trump’s envoy to these regions, rampant insider stock trading, the outright sale of presidential pardons, and the curbing of antitrust and IRS enforcement for donors to the president.
A Democratic win would also enable the investigation of dozens of other issues, such as:
• The multiple abuses of ICE, including the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and the mistreatment of people held in ICE detention centers;
• The Defense Department’s extrajudicial killings of dozens of people on the high seas, explained only by the unsupported assertion that they were running drugs;
• The dismantling of the Agency for International Development, which has been responsible for saving millions of lives around the world;
• Massive cutbacks and a leadership purge at the Centers for Disease Control, formerly the world’s premier public health agency, that have endangered public health;
• The true extent of the damage sustained by our military bases in the Mideast due to the Iran War, as well as an accurate accounting of all military personnel killed or wounded; and
• The decimation of the top ranks of the military by Pete Hegseth, who has created a dangerous leadership vacuum by firing dozens of exemplary generals and other top officers without explanation.
If Democrats win control of the Senate as well as the House, they will be in a position to block confirmation of Trump-supported judges, including nominees to the Supreme Court. During their confirmation hearings, Trump’s appointees have consistently refused to acknowledge the irrefutable fact that Joe Biden won the 2020 election. That refusal does not bode well for their ability to impartially decide matters involving this administration, and underscores the importance of the Senate’s confirmation power.
A sound thumping of Trump’s candidates at the polls would also give us something perhaps more valuable than congressional power: Hope. Hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Hope that our long national nightmare may soon be over. Hope that we can begin repairing the staggering damage wrought by Trump and his minions.
James Speyer is a lawyer and a volunteer for Lawyers Defending American Democracy. He lives in Sharon.