Packed house for DOT info session
Riley Klein
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“Rex” at Stissing Center
Lakeville Journal
Aug 26, 2026
Photo by Kenneth Jimenez
Cellist and composer Christopher Hoffman brings his solo project “Rex” to the Grace Note at Stissing Center in Pine Plains on Friday, Aug. 28, inspired by artist and ornithologist Rex Brasher, who created more than 1,200 watercolors of North American birds on his 116-acre estate in Amenia. Hoffman moved into Brasher’s former home in 2023 and composed and recorded the 13-track album there, using acoustic and electric cello to evoke Brasher’s world without literally reproducing birdsong. Hoffman’s performance draws on his work in jazz, experimental music and film, including collaborations with Henry Threadgill, Yoko Ono and Martin Scorsese. Tickets at thestissingcenter.org
Police Blotter: Troop B
Lakeville Journal
Aug 26, 2026
Police Blotter: Troop B
Police Blotter: Troop B
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.
Distracted driver crash
James Coughlin, 38, of Falls Village was driving on Warren Hill Road on Aug. 10, just east of the intersection with Route 7 in Cornwall Bridge, when he collided with a parked landscaping trailer and pickup truck. He stated the cause of the crash was that he looked at his phone and away from the road. Coughlin was uninjured, but his Nissan Rogue SV was damaged and had to be towed from the scene. He was issued with a written warning for distracted driving.
Failure to yield crash
Just after noon on Aug. 15, Marcie Aiuvalasit, 77, of Taconic was attempting to turn left onto Lakes Road from Route 44 in Salisbury. As she made the turn, an oncoming Ford F150, driven by Andrew Klein, 37, of New Marlborough, Massachusetts, was unable to stop in time and collided with the rear of her Subaru Crosstrek. Aiuvalasit was issued with a written warning for failure to yield to oncoming traffic. No injuries were reported from the incident, and both vehicles could be driven from the scene.
Failure to grant right of way crash
At approximately 12:20 p.m. on Aug. 18, George Neal, 83, of Colebrook was driving west on Route 44 in North Canaan when a Toyota Highlander, driven by Peter Handlowich, 85, of Ashley Falls, pulled out into the roadway from Allyndale Road after stopping at the stop sign, causing a collision. Neither Handlowich, Neal or Neal’s passenger were injured in the incident, and both vehicles could be driven from the scene with minor damage. Handlowich was issued a written warning for failure to grant right of way at an intersection.
Traffic stop leads to fake name arrest
Just after 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 18, troopers conducted a traffic stop near the intersection of Route 41 and Route 112 in Lakeville for a driver who allegedly didn’t obey a stop sign. During the stop, troopers determined the driver had offered a fake name, and determined that he was actually Andre Summers, 37, of Millerton. He was placed under arrest and transported to Troop B for processing, and was ultimately charged for failure to obey a stop sign, criminal impersonation and interfering with an officer or resisting. He was released on a $2,500 cash bond and is scheduled to appear at Torrington Superior Court on Sept. 1.
Domestic disturbance arrest
At approximately 7 p.m. on Aug. 21, troopers were dispatched to an address on Foote Avenue in North Canaan on the report of an active domestic disturbance. Troopers spoke with both involved parties and, after investigating, arrested Benjamin Sumner, 29, of North Canaan for disorderly conduct and took him into custody at Troop B. He was unable to post his $10,000 cash bond and was transported to New Haven Correctional Center until his arraignment at Torrington Superior Court on Aug. 24.
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@lakevillejournal.com.
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Kent median home price rises to $625,000
Christine Bates
Aug 26, 2026
KENT – The median price of a single-family home in Kent, excluding condominiums, rose to $625,000 for the 12 months ending July 31.
That represents a 29% increase from the $484,000 median recorded for the 12 months ending July 31, 2025, but remains well below the record $753,000 reached during the comparable period ending in July 2024.
The number of single-family homes sold remained relatively stable, with 27 sales during the 12 months ending July 31, 2026, or roughly two to three homes per month. That compares with 26 sales during the previous 12-month period and 30 during the year ending July 31, 2024. Annual sales peaked at 81 during the 12 months ending in May 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fifteen single-family homes and three condominiums were listed for sale last week. Twelve of those properties were priced below $1 million, including six below the current 12-month median of $625,000. Homes in Kent typically sell for 98% to 100% of their asking price.
July Kent Transfers
Macedonia Brook Road – 1.33 acres of vacant land transferred by William Johnson to Deborah Fitton Shiflett for $165,000
34 Kent Hollow Road – 3 bedroom/3 bath home on 7.17 acres transferred by Richard and Leslie Lillien Levy to Maureen and John Vernon for $846,500.
24 Doldorf Road -2 bedroom/3 bath cape on 1.16 acres transferred by Joanna Mandl Trustee to Joanna Mandl Revocable Trust to Stephanie and Marc Churchill for $985,000
3 Studio Hill Road – 3 bedroom/ 3 bath antique home on .9 acres transferred by Laura and Mark Cowan to Sean Paul and Deirdre Elizabeth Kelly for $1,360,000
7 Chimney Rock Road – 3 bedroom/2 bath ranch on 1.27 acres transferred by Fred Nicolois and Ana Laufer to Barry Diament and Mary Christine Antonelli for $576,000
27 Main Street North, Unit 7A – Commercial space transferred by Leonard Astrauskas MD to Michelle Tolbert for $85,000
89A Main Street North – 3 bedroom/2 bath home transferred by Manish and Mrinalini Pandit to Michael and Kristine Benjamin for $675,000
25 Stone Fences Lane – 4 bedroom/4 bath home on 2.31 acres sold by Kevin Robert Frost and Nikom Wongtee to Matthew Marcucci and Alexandra Gibson for $1,195,000
June Kent Transfers
29 Elizabeth Street – 2 bedroom/1 bath home on .36 acres transferred by Joann Marsh Executor of Gloria Scribner Estate to Gwendolyn Noel Holcombe for $416,000
33 Gorham Road – 4 bedroom/4 bath home on 5.37 acres transferred by Wayne Giles to Angela Yim and Stephen Shank for $1,495,000
* Town of Kent real estate transfers recorded between June 1, 2026, and July 31, 2026, provided by Kent Town Clerk. Transfers without consideration are not included. Current market listings from Smart MLS and market data from Info Sparks. Note that recorded transfers frequently 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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Norfolk man and former Miss Hall’s teacher indicted on sexual assault charges
Aly Morrissey
Aug 26, 2026
PITTSFIELD, MASS. — A former Miss Hall’s School science teacher from Norfolk was indicted on three criminal charges by a Berkshire Superior Court grand jury Thursday, Aug. 20, according to the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office.
Matthew Johnson, 70, was indicted on one count of assault with intent to rape and two counts of indecent assault and battery on a person over age 14. The charges stem from Johnson’s tenure at Miss Hall’s School, where he taught science from 1993 to 1994, prosecutors said.
The District Attorney’s Office said its investigation found that Johnson was dismissed from the school in 1994 before the end of the school year.
Johnson is the third former Miss Hall’s School staff member to be indicted as part of investigations into alleged abuse at the Pittsfield private school. An arraignment date has not been set.
Anyone with information about abuse at Miss Hall’s School can contact the Berkshire State Police Detective Unit at 413-449-5055 or email BerkshireSPDUtips@mass.gov.
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Nancy Kissinger remembered for her commitment to Kent
Ruth Epstein
Aug 26, 2026
Nancy Kissinger, left, is seen with Deborah Chabrian, president of the Kent Historical Society, at a Kent Firemen’s Ball, several years ago. Kissinger died at her South Kent home last week at age 92.
Ed Martinez
KENT - Nancy Kissinger, 92, widow of former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, died at her South Kent home on Aug. 20. She is being remembered by townspeople as a warm, thoughtful woman, who, while protective of her privacy, also embraced the town and its residents in many ways.
The Kissingers split their time between a Manhattan residence and a 300-acre farm in South Kent.
Deborah Chabrian and her husband, Ed Martinez, were acquaintances of the couple and recalled her graciousness.
“She was very warm, very thoughtful,” Chabrian said in an interview this week. “She had no airs and was down to earth, yet there was a sense of formality. She did many acts of kindness that people didn’t know about.”
Known as a philanthropist, Kissinger financially supported many local causes, including the Kent Historical Society, of which Chabrian is president. The society is headquartered in the former home of artist George Laurence Nelson and when a project to upgrade the room named for his wife, Helen, was initiated, Nancy Kissinger’s donation was a big part of making it happen, Chabrian said.
Kissinger was often seen around town, always in a low-key manner. Chabrian said she enjoyed doing her own errands. “She was a familiar face at the South Kent Post Office. I once ran into her at a farm stand in Litchfield. She would attend the annual firemen’s ball and in earlier years, she and her husband would be seen at the firemen’s fair.”
Martinez, an artist, was commissioned to paint several portraits for the Kissingers, including portraits of family members. Chabrian laughed when telling the story of him being asked by Kissinger to paint a picture of their dog, Abigail, for her husband’s birthday.
He did two sketches. “She liked one and he, the other. In the end, they took them both. She was a strong force.”
When they would deliver portraits, Chabrian and Martinez would occasionally be invited to stay for tea.
Chabrian also remembered hearing about the time Kissingers’ car broke down on a Manhattan highway coming back from Kent. A policeman came and helped her out and she made a point of sending a note of praise to his boss about the incident.
The Kissingers were also loyal supporters of the Kent Memorial Library. Ken Cooper, past president of the board of directors, recalled a time when the library held a series of talks, bringing dignitaries to speak.
“We were at Kent School when Army Gen. Colin Powell, who had served as secretary of state, was the guest speaker,” Cooper recalled. “Powell was asked why he would agree to come to a program at a small town. He replied, ‘Because Nancy asked me to.’”
Another of her interests was the environment and conservation. William Arnold, a member of the Kent Land Trust, said she showed that in many ways. She was the honorary chairman of the organization’s annual benefit cocktail party for several years and would faithfully come to welcome guests.
He remembered her request to have a purple martin (a type of swallow) colony on the farm’s property and how much she enjoyed feeding and watching those birds. “She would come to my farm every year to see the bobolinks nesting in the tall grass. She loved wildlife; birds in particular.”
Arnold shared that the Kissingers loved dogs and had a series of labs, most of whom were named for first ladies.
Laurie Doss, a teacher at Marvelwood School, described her relationship with Kissinger as “bird buddies.” She helped Kissinger put up her purple martin nesting box, and when it wasn’t drawing guests, Doss suggested she move it closer to a pond. The change of location met with success. Kissinger, she said, was always concerned with what movements in the environment would impact birds, such as wind turbines.
But it was her caring for others that Doss said stands out when she thinks of Kissinger. When Doss was in treatment for cancer, Kissinger sent her a cashmere shawl to keep warm.
“She was the most down-to-earth caring person,” she said.
First Selectman Eric Epstein called Kissinger “a pillar of the community.” He, too, spoke of the many organizations she supported.
“I will cherish Dr. Kissinger and her taking time each August to attend our firemen’s fair to enjoy a sausage and pepper grinder and play a few rounds of bingo. Her presence and commitment to Kent will be missed.”
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Songs, sketches and a llama delight children at Scoville Memorial Library
Patrick L. Sullivan
Aug 26, 2026
Danny Tieger,left, greets Debbie Labbe and Harley the llama at the Scoville Memorial Library.
Patrick L. Sullivan
SALISBURY — Danny Tieger is known for “Danny Sings About Everything,” a series of children’s events at the Scoville Memorial Library featuring Tieger, his guitar, an easel with a sketch pad and markers, and a crowd of children brimming with suggestions.
From this mix, Tieger creates extemporaneous songs and drawings.
On Sunday, Aug. 23, things got more specific. “Danny Sings About a Real, Live Llama” featured a llama named Harley and his owner, Debbie Labbe of Country Quilt Farm in Cornwall.
Tieger got the 18 or so children primed during the half-hour before Harley’s arrival.
He started with a couplet:
“We’ll have songs and very silly dances/At the end we hope the llama prances.”
He then asked the children to name an animal for a quick song.
“A duck!” said a child with a squeaky voice.
Tieger thought for a moment, strummed a chord and launched into it.
“Ducks are excellent/Of them I am fond/I look for them in rivers/In lakes and in ponds.”
The group then worked up the beginning of a song for Harley, leading into a chorus of “Hey! It’s a llama.”
Then it was time to sing it to Harley, who entered the children’s area of the library led by Labbe on a loose leash.
Harley turned out to be a placid, unflappable llama, although Labbe asked the children to wave their hands rather than clap.
Labbe pointed out the different colors of Harley’s fur: brown, black, gray and a little white around his nose.
“Those are the basic llama colors, and it’s how we tell them apart,” she said.
Labbe said Harley, a fully grown 4-year-old llama, weighs 350 pounds. Llamas typically live 18 to 20 years.
Harley lives at the Cornwall farm with five other llamas.
Labbe runs programs for older adults at nursing homes, convalescent centers, assisted living facilities and adult day care centers, as well as programs for children at libraries, schools and day care centers.
The llamas are friendly with people, and petting is encouraged.
Labbe, with Harley beside her, read “Is Your Mama a Llama?” by Deborah Guarino, and shared additional llama facts.
“You can’t ride a llama,” she said. “They’re not designed for it.
“But they are excellent pack animals and can be trained to pull a cart. So that’s how you could go for a llama ride.”
She asked the children whether they had heard Harley make an identifying sound, the way a cow moos.
The children said no.
“They’re very quiet,” Labbe said. “When they do talk to each other, they make a humming sound.”
An exception is when there is cause for alarm, such as a coyote sneaking up on a flock of sheep the llamas are guarding or a bear appearing at the perimeter of the farm.
Labbe described a llama’s alarm call as a cross between a donkey braying and an alarm clock going off.
“It’s really obnoxious.”
The children got to pet Harley, who took the attention in stride.
Whether Harley liked the song was difficult to gauge. He remained poker-faced throughout.
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