
Stacey and David Fiorillo and Marc and Lenore Mallet (shown left to right), new owners of the Colonial Theatre in Canaan.
Photo by Kathryn Boughton
CANAAN — Back when movies were new, when a Saturday matinee or an evening show was an adventure for a rural town, Seth Moseley, a wealthy New Haven hotelier, built The Casino in Canaan as a fancy trinket for his young wife’s birthday.
The entertainment center, purchased by the Boscardin family in 1929 and renamed the Colonial, soon became the entertainment hub for the community, featuring the brand-new “talkies,” vaudeville shows, high school graduations, roller skating and community balls in the ornate upstairs ballroom.
In a day before cell phones, tablets and large-screen televisions, the theater was packed on Friday nights and Saturdays, and there was even a town meeting to discuss whether the sanctity of the Sabbath could be disturbed by Sunday screenings. But that was long ago, and movie theaters have struggled over the intervening decades. The Colonial, once virtually derelict, has 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.
The couples, all of whom have other “day jobs,” quickly fell in love with the theater when they first toured it. “They had just reduced the price and we decided to take a look,” said Lenore Mallet. “We just popped in and when we saw how beautiful the interior is, we said, ‘Oh, my God,’ and the wheels started turning. When we walked out the door, we knew we were going to buy it.”
They devised a plan to return the building to its status as a community hub, offering the space for events as varied as corporate meetings, charity events, birthday and anniversary parties, weddings, live performances, educational seminars, movies, and dances. “We’re really excited,” said Mallet. “It was a little slow at the beginning, but now our phones are ringing off the hook.”
Indeed, the neon marquee once again lights up Railroad Street, advertising events as diverse as a “Dragons” game-playing convention and sponsored movies, many of them free for patrons. In the coming weeks, area residents can expect to see classic holiday movies such as “Elf,” sponsored by SHG Event Planning; “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” supported by Rick and Sasha McCue; and the all-time favorite “It’s a Wonderful Life,” underwritten by the Community Health and Wellness Center.
Sadly, the whimsical “Ratatouille,” the animated tale of a kitchen rat turned Parisian chef, and a corresponding food event by Tory Hill, is fully subscribed.
Many events are sponsored by local businesses, whose names appear on the marquee in the week before the event. While sponsored movies have been free to date, Mallet said the theater may soon charge a nominal fee. “Because the movies are free, we have had a lot of no-shows,” she said. “We think if we charge something like $2 for kids and $5 for adults, it will encourage people to come.” Half the funds would be used for operational expenses and half would be donated to local charities.
For some children, the experience of going to the movies in a theater resurrects the excitement felt by children in the first decades of the 20th century. A small boy was seen sobbing in a seat when AHA sponsored “Legos II.” Concerned adults moved to console him, but soon learned his tears were tears of joy. “So excited,” he kept saying.
Over the Thanksgiving weekend, two ski films were screened, the first from Teton Gravity Research titled “Legend Has It,” and the second, Warren Miller’s “All Time.”
But it’s not all flicks — a comedy show is planned for Saturday, Dec. 1, when local comedian Ronnie Reed will host his comedically talented friends. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Canaan’s Fishes and Loaves. It will be followed Sunday, Dec. 10, by a free book talk on “The Fabulist: The Lying, Hustling, Grifting, Stealing, and Very American Legend of George Santos” with author Mark Chiusano. The author will sign books available for purchase at the event, courtesy of Oblong Books. Attendees are asked to RSVP.
At the front of the venerable building are two retail spaces. One is occupied by a hair salon, while the other space will soon host pop-up store Hither Lane, a housewares store “somewhat like William Sonoma.” “She is testing the market to see where she wants to set up her business,” said Mallet. “We need retail on Main Street, so we are really excited.”
The two couples are also reviving another tradition — first jobs for young people. They recently interviewed high school students who would be tasked with running the concession bar and greeting patrons. “So many people have told us this was their first job,” said Mallet. “We want to offer that experience to a new generation.”
For more information, visit www.canaancolonial.com
LAKEVILLE — The Hotchkiss School girls lacrosse won the 2025 Founders League championship with an 11-10 victory over Choate Rosemary Hall May 21.
The Bearcats battled back from behind by as many as four points.
MaryHelen McCooey scored the game-winning goal with about two minutes remaining.
The win marked the fourth consecutive Founders League title for Hotchkiss girls lacrosse.
The Marvelwood lacrosse team poses for a group photo May 20 after winning the HVAL title for the second year in row.
KENT — On Tuesday, May 20, Marvelwood School lacrosse defeated Woodhall School 15-9 in the Housatonic Valley Athletic League tournament final.
It was second straight HVAL championship win for the Pterodactyls and their fifth league title since 2018.
Marvelwood and Woodhall played twice this past season with Marvelwood winning both games. They met in the championship as the first and second ranked teams in the league.
In the pre-game huddle, Marvelwood Coach Zach Maizel pumped up his players and urged them to “be aggressive early.”
Eli Jamieson, No. 4, congratulates teammate C. Jones after a goal.Photo by Lans Christensen
Taking his message to heart, attackman Eli Jamieson scored in the first minute of game play. He scored twice more in the first period, which ended with Marvelwood ahead 6-3.
Woodhall played aggressively and stayed on the attack, but the first half ended 9-4 in favor of Marvelwood.
Jamieson was the key player on the Marvelwood squad, and he scored twice more in the final period to maintain the Pterodactyls’ lead.
Woodhall fought hard and possessed control for most of the final period, scoring five goals but falling to a final 15-9 Marvelwood victory.
HVRHS sophomore Ryan Segalla went three-for-three May 17 with Berkshire League gold in the 100m, 200m and 400m races. He was also on the gold-winning 4x400m relay team.
Berkshire League track and field wrapped up a season of competition with the league finals in Litchfield May 17. The BL festival followed with decathlon, heptathlon, steeplechase and hammer in Falls Village May 20 and Thomaston May 21.
The events included athletes from Housatonic Valley Regional High School, Gilbert School, Lakeview High School, Nonnewaug High School, Northwestern Regional High School, Shepaug Valley High School, Terryville High School and Thomaston High School.
In the gold medal tally, Nonnewaug led with 12 golds, Housatonic won 10, Northwestern won six, Thomaston won six, Lakeview won five and Shepaug won three.
For Housatonic, Senior Mia Dodge won the girls 300m hurdles.
Mia DodgePhoto by Riley Klein
Sophomore Ryan Segalla won the boys 100m, 200m and 400m races.
Senior Kyle McCarron won the boys 800m and 1600m races.
The boys 4x400m relay team of Anthony Labbadia, Patrick Money, Kyle McCarron and Ryan Segalla won gold.
Junior Anthony Labbadia won the boys triple jump by a margin of more than three feet. He also earned second place in the boys 400m race.
Senior Patrick Money won the decathlon.
Senior Gabi Titone won the steeplechase. Junior Olivia Brooks took bronze.
The girls 4x400m relay team of Mckenzie Lotz, Harper Howe, Mia Dodge and Maddy Johnson took silver. The same team took bronze in the 4x100m relay.
Harper Howe took silver in the girls 400m race.
Gabi Titone took silver in the girls 800m race.
The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference Class S state track and field meet will be held in New Britain on June 2.
Patrick Money
Photo by Riley Klein
Lime Rock Park is slated to host the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Friday and Saturday, June 26 to 28, in Lime Rock, Connecticut.
SALISBURY — First Selectman Curtis Rand agreed to sign approvals for changes in traffic patterns and a “hauler parade” for Lime Rock Park’s NASCAR event June 26 to 28 after a lengthy and detailed discussion at a special meeting of the Board of Selectmen Wednesday, May 21.
Lime Rock Park is hosting a weekend of NASCAR events. In anticipation of a larger than usual crowd, park leadership has asked to have one-way traffic on Route 112 — Lime Rock Road — from the junction of Route 7 and Route 112 to White Hollow Road and the main track entrance between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and one-way traffic in the opposite direction between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Friday, June 27 and Saturday, June 28.
On Thursday, June 26, there will be a hauler parade. The trucks will form up at Salisbury School and proceed west on Route 44 starting at 4:30 p.m., with state police cars in the lead and bringing up the rear. Westbound traffic on Route 44 will be stopped as the parade gets underway.
Rand expressed frustration with many aspects of the plans. He was critical of park leadership for setting up arrangements with local businesses for the parade prior to coming to the town for a discussion.
Selectman Chris Williams said Lime Rock Park should have come to the town considerably earlier than the first notification a couple of weeks ago.
Selectman Kitty Kiefer said she has not heard anything positive from anyone she has talked to about the plans.
Lime Rock Park President Dicky Riegel and facility safety director Tom Burke, a retired State Police sergeant with Troop B, answered the questions and criticisms as they came.
Burke said there will be 30 state troopers both along the roads and at the track, and there will be 11 variable message boards deployed to alert motorists several days ahead of the events.
Asked why park representatives had not sent out plans to their immediate neighbors, Riegel said they couldn’t do that until they had an approval. With approval, the track will publicize the information about the traffic flow and the parade.
Riegel also apologized for not coming to the town sooner.
Public comment was uniformly negative.
After an hour or so, Rand asked the selectmen for their opinions.
Kiefer said she would deny both requests.
Williams said he would approve them but reiterated his earlier criticisms.
Rand made up his mind.
“I will sign these.” He said he was “going on good faith.”
“But if it comes up again I might easily say no.”