Photography exhibit reaches back to 1800s

Photographs from Thomas K. Levine will be on display at the Berkshire School.
Provided

Photographs from Thomas K. Levine will be on display at the Berkshire School.
'Three Centuries of Photography” from the collection of Thomas K. Levine will be on display at the Warren Family Gallery at the Berkshire School from Nov. 1 to Dec. 21. The exhibit features 75 original prints, spanning the history of photography from the 19th century to today. The opening reception is on Friday, Nov. 1, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Thomas Levine, a former Paramount Pictures executive and father of a Berkshire School junior, brings together works by renowned photographers like Carleton Watkins, Julia Margaret Cameron, Alfred Stieglitz, Diane Arbus, and Richard Misrach. The show includes landscapes, portraits, and a recent focus on vintage images of notable historical figures, including Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King Jr., and George Harrison.
“I’ve always been interested in all kinds of visual media,” said Levine who also acts as a consultant to The Triplex in Great Barrington. “In my prior life I worked in the film business as an executive so photography seems like a natural extension of my interest in film,” Levine explained.
The exhibit will be curated by teacher and art department chair Paul Banevicius with Levine’s assistance and aims to offer “the community at large” a rare opportunity to experience this extensive and diverse collection. “It’s an opportunity to see a lot disparate work in one setting,” said Levine.
Opening is Nov. 1 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Gallery hours are Monday to Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., or by appointment.
Aly Morrissey
Ethan Goldwasser of New York celebrates the start of the Sharon Classic Road Race, May 2.
SHARON – Runners of all ages braved cool temperatures and drizzling rain Saturday, May 2, for the 41st annual Sharon Classic Road Race, a fundraiser that benefits the Sharon Day Care Center.
The 5.3-mile run and walk began and ended at Veterans Field, looping around Mudge Pond and through scenic stretches of Sharon.
The race began almost half a century ago to raise critical funds for the daycare, located on the property of Sharon Center School. The center, which serves infants through age five, has since grown from two to five classrooms with 17 staff. It currently enrolls 60 children.
“It’s a great organization to support,” said race director Stacy Hudson, who has served on the daycare’s board for 18 years and helped organize the race for the past 12 to 15 years.
Hudson said the race draws runners from all over Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts, though many are local and return year after year.
Sharon Day Care Director Carrie-Ann Olsen said the event is family-friendly.
“It’s great when the kids come out and see their teachers here,” she said. “They love seeing us outside of school – it’s like we’re famous.”
Olsen’s seventh grade daughter, who attended Sharon Day Care in 2015, volunteered during the race.
“It’s a full-circle moment,” Olsen said.
The event kicked off with the annual “Kids Fun Run” and “Kids Not Quite a Mile” races for children ages two to seven.
About 120 runners were pre-registered for the race, though 84 placed in the race results, which were professionally chip-timed by Fast Track Timing. Hudson said the weather could have been a deterrent for some.
William Sanders of Marlborough, Conn. was the overall men’s winner with a time of 29:29.12 and a 5:34 pace. Linda Spooner of Sturbridge, Mass. was the overall women’s winner with a time of 35:46.74 and a 6:45 pace.
Among the top finishers was Wolf Donner, a 13-year-old Sharon resident, who placed fourth overall with a time of 33:22.4 and a 6:19 pace. He was the youngest registered runner in the group.
It was Donner’s first time running the Sharon Classic Road Race and his first-ever race outside of cross country meets at Indian Mountain School, where he joined the team this year.
Donner said he began running to improve his squash game, only to discover he is “better at running” than he is at squash. He said he didn’t do anything special to train, but ate a banana that morning and purchased a new pair of blue sneakers that he broke in the week before.
During the race, Donner said he focused on breathing and imagined himself moving backwards through the course.
“I had high hopes for myself,” he said, adding that he exceeded his own expectations after he and his mother looked up race times from previous years.
After Saturday’s finish, Donner said he plans to enter more races.
Patrick L. Sullivan
Sue Bayer is honored during a May 1 EXTRAS gala.
SALISBURY — The Salisbury-based EXTRAS (Extended Time for Recreational Activities in Salisbury) program honored longtime President Sue Bayer of Lakeville at a May 1 gala fundraiser at The White Hart, recognizing her years of involvement supporting local youth programming.
“Very few people have done as much as Sue Bayer,” said EXTRAS director Alex Baker. “So to say she’s had an impact on the program is quite the understatement.”
EXTRAS, a Connecticut state-licensed nonprofit based at Salisbury Central School, provides an affordable, safe and educational environment for school-age children while encouraging positive social, emotional and physical development.
A teacher and mother of three, Bayer has been involved with EXTRAS in some capacity for more than 10 years.
Bayer spoke briefly after receiving a plaque from Baker, thanking attendees for the honor and saying, “I couldn’t have done it without all of you.”
The May 1 gala also served as a fundraiser, featuring a silent auction with art and photography from local artists, tickets to events at Lime Rock Park, Sharon Playhouse, the Salisbury Winter Sports Association’s Jumpfest, Catamount Ski Area and The Moviehouse, as well as items such as a box of locally sourced meat from Tory Hill and an inspection and oil change from Dave’s Auto.
A live auction featured a one-year golf membership at the Canaan Country Club, use of a private screening room for 20 at The Moviehouse, a weekend at the White Hart, and more.
EXTRAS began in 1988 as an after-school program and has since expanded to include school vacation programming and a summer camp.
The summer camp runs from June 29 through Aug. 7 and is open to children ages 5-12. For more information go to extrasprogram.org.
EXTRAS also works with students from The Hotchkiss School, who volunteer weekly during the school year, helping with crafts and games, and serving as positive role models.
The program is supported by community donations and grants, including the Berkshire Taconic Madeline B. Wilde Grant and funding from Northwest CT Community Foundations, including its Cycle Grant and Women and Girls Fund.
Alec Linden
FALLS VILLAGE – A tenured teacher at the Housatonic Valley Regional High School was fired April 23 following his arrest on a disorderly conduct charge tied to an incident with a student.
At the end of a nearly six-hour meeting, much of it held in executive session, the Region One Board of Education voted unanimously to terminate the contract of John Christinat, a 65-year-old technology teacher who had been employed at the school since 2001 with no prior reported incidents.
Christinat was arrested on March 20 after turning himself in on an active arrest warrant signed March 18, stemming from a Sept. 9, 2025, incident at the high school in which a verbal altercation with a 15-year-old student turned physical.
The student is autistic, according to a statement from the teen’s father in the police report.
According to the police affidavit, Christinat told officers the student placed a cellphone within 10 inches of his face and that he tried to grab it. He said the student then pushed him to the floor.
“While on the floor, I then tried restraining [the student’s] arm and legs so that he could not continue to punch me, to effect a basket hold,” Christinat told police, adding that he had been trained in “Applied Non-Violence,” a program focused on the safe restraint of special education students, according to the police report.
Police, however, ultimately charged Christinat with disorderly conduct.
Present at the Region One meeting were board members, along with district and high school administrators, attorneys and Christinat.
Region One Superintendent of Schools Melony Brady-Shanley stated that the high school is actively seeking to hire a new technology educator.
Christinat did not respond to a request for comment.

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Alec Linden
A beam-mounted light structure in New Milford serves as a model for the replacement planned in Kent. Kent’s beams will be painted black.
KENT – The state Department of Transportation is scheduled to replace a traffic light fixture at the Kent four corners intersection, and some residents have raised concerns about the change.
First Selectman Eric Epstein notified residents of the change through an email sent Monday, April 27, outlining the DOT’s plans to replace the current wire-hung system at the intersection of Route 7 and Route 341 with metal beam-mounted fixtures. He also requested public comments to share with the agency.
By Friday, Epstein said he had forwarded five responses to DOT representatives. The unifying theme, he said, was concerns over aesthetics.
“Overwhelmingly, it was the look of these giant structures in our scenic downtown,” Epstein said.
The plans call for two black-painted mast arms, measuring 40 and 60 feet, on the northeast and northwest corners of the intersection. The lights themselves will have reflective backplates with yellow borders and will feature cameras to adjust signal and timing, along with “no turn on red” signs when the crosswalks are activated.
The DOT did not cite a single reason for the change when it was announced last year, but indicated the project followed an assessment that considered the signal’s age, maintenance needs, local input and safety concerns.
Epstein said much of the feedback focused on how the new setup could impact the visual character of the intersection, which is centered around the historic Soldiers’ Monument.
“That is a much-photographed area, and I fear the masts are going to be an eyesore forever going forward,” one resident wrote.
“The current light is relatively low key and better fitting for this small New England town and it functions well for public safety,” another resident said.
One respondent, who identified as a retired Connecticut State Police sergeant, said the change could also present an opportunity to improve traffic flow and prevent accidents.
The project was presented publicly during a meeting announcing a regional infrastructure upgrade initiative by the DOT in August 2025, and was attended by several Kent officials and members of the public. Epstein said that while the comment period has passed, he has requested that the state consider the input of Kent residents submitted last week.
Construction is not anticipated to begin until next year, and the project is entirely state funded.
Patrick L. Sullivan
Lake Wononscopomuc
LAKEVILLE – Stickers for the Town Grove’s 2026 season will go on sale Memorial Day weekend at the Town Grove Boathouse and will be available for purchase seven days a week.
Proof of residency is required. Registration forms must be completed, and Grove staff will affix all stickers to vehicles.
This year’s fees cost residents $85 for the first sticker and $55 for additional stickers. Senior citizen (65+) stickers cost $55.00, and non-resident season stickers cost $420.
Daily admission is $15 per person, with children under one year admitted for free. Additional fees apply for boat mooring, dock space and rentals.
The boat launch remains closed to outside boats to prevent the spread of hydrilla. The town has added additional boats with trolling motors for rent.
For a complete list of fees, services, and rules visit salisburyct.us/town-grove/.
Christine Bates
The renovated home at 62 Railroad Street sold for $600,000 in February.
FALLS VILLAGE –The 12-month trailing median price for a single-family home in Falls Village was $625,000 for the period ending March 31, 2026, down 4% from the $650,000 median recorded for the 12 months ending March 31, 2025, and a 12% decrease from $710,500 for the comparable period ending March 31, 2024.
The median price for the period ending March 31 was significantly lower than the historic 12 month high reached in February 2023 of $794,500.
Single-family homes in Falls Village on a 12-month rolling basis remained below the historic range of 10 to 15 homes sold annually. Eight single-family homes were sold in the 12 months ending March 31, 2026, compared with 15 in the period ending March 31, 2025, and 13 sales for the 12 months ending March 31, 2024.
Inventory also remained limited as of April 30. Six single homes were listed for sale in Canaan/Falls Village, with only two priced below the current median of $625,000 and three above $1 million. Five parcels of vacant land were also on the market. Rentals are also limited with two homes listed for rent and only one of those on a yearly basis.
Transfers November 2025 through March 2026
91 Main Street – 4 bedroom/2 bath home built in 1840 on .37 acres sold by Sally Wilburn to Juliet and John Hubbard for $665,000 transferred on November 24, 2025
Undermountain Road – 37.2 acres of landsold by Carol Flaton to Ellery Sinclair for $200,000 transferred on December 11, 2025
36 Kellogg Road – 4 bedroom/2 bath ranch on 1.85acres sold by 36 Kellogg House LLC to William David Hopkins IV and Claudia Jean Bliss for $599,000 transferred on December 30, 2025
62 Railroad Street – 3 bedroom/2.5 bath home on .28 acres sold by LBC Capital LLC to Mary Allison Anne Letourneau and Kimberly Elizabeth Cooper for $600,000 transferred on February 5, 2026
88 Railroad Street- 4 bedroom/ 1.5 bath single family home on 3.49 acres sold by Joey Leggett to Katherine Summers Berzine for $778,000 transferred on February 18, 2026
72 Johnson Road – 3 bedroom/ 1.5 bath raised ranch on .83 acres sold by Charles and Carrie Ann Olsen to Michael and Chelsea Hill for $340,000 transferred on March 02, 2026
63 Page Road – 3 bedroom/1.5 bath ranch on .77 acres sold by Elizabeth Worrall to Jeanne Xanthos for $183,345 transferred on March 9, 2026
166 Undermountain Road – 6.1 acres of land sold by Christopher Lancto and Kathleen Devaney to Vance and Carolyn Cannon for $310,000 transferred on March 30, 2026
* Town of Canaan/Falls Village real estate transfers recorded as sold between November 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026, provided by Cott Systems Record Hub. Property details from town assessor tax cards. Transfers without consideration are not included. Current market listings from Smart MLS and market statistics from Infosparks. Note that recorded transfers frequently lag sales by a number of days and also include private off market sales. Compiled by Christine Bates, Real Estate Salesperson with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, Licensed in CT and NY.

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