Purely unique: Underdogs take center stage at Little Guild’s Great Country Mutt Show

Great Dane “Axel” with owner Sage Breyette in the Best Lap Dog Over 40 Lbs. contest.
Aly Morrissey
Great Dane “Axel” with owner Sage Breyette in the Best Lap Dog Over 40 Lbs. contest.
LIME ROCK — The Little Guild’s Great Country Mutt Show brought animal lovers together for a day of sunshine and smiles on Sunday, June 8, at Lime Rock Park.
Now in its sixth year, the “Westminster-style” dog show featured live music, food trucks, and furry friends competing in playful categories that celebrated both looks and talent.
Special guest judges included Scot Haney, meteorologist and co-host at WFSB Channel 3 in Hartford; Richard Schlesinger, an award-winning journalist; and Bill Berloni, famed animal trainer who worked on Broadway’s Annie with the original Sandy. The trio brought compassion and a sense of humor to the contest, keeping the audience entertained and the contestants wagging.
Heather Duffy of Wappingers Falls attended the Mutt Show for the first time and praised the family-friendly vibe. “I love how it’s so family-oriented and the kids are involved,” said Duffy, owner of Ledgewood Boarding in Millerton. She was joined by her son Deacon and their dogs, Rigby and Theo. Theo, a 2-year-old, stole the show with a win in the “Most Unidentifiable Mix” category.
Another crowd favorite was Rufus, a 10-month-old rescue pup entered in the Best Lap Dog Over 40 lbs. contest with his owner, Schuyler Samperton. Judge Bill Berloni noted the strong bond between the pair, who only met in April. “We love to see that kind of connection,” he said before handing over the blue ribbon to a visibly emotional Samperton.
The event’s competition categories included: Junior Handler (for humans under 12), Most Unidentifiable Mix, Sweetest Pair of Dogs, Best Ears, Best Trick, Best Lap Dog Over 40 Lbs., Best Senior, Best Kisser and Waggiest Tail.
The afternoon ended with the Best in Show Parade, where every pup had a moment in the spotlight. This year’s top honor went to George, a 2.5-year-old Pit Bull-Bloodhound mix who splits time between New York City and Sharon.
Karen Doeblin, President of the Board at The Little Guild, said she was thrilled with the turnout. “This is our major outreach event, and it’s about bringing together people who love their animals and celebrating the human-animal bond,” Doeblin said. She also pointed to growing scientific evidence that dogs have a positive impact on human happiness and well-being. One look at the smiling faces in the crowd was all the proof needed.
2004 Lexus ES 330 Sedan: Runs but needs some work. 176K miles. $2000. Call 860-435-0905 Leave message.
Services Offered
Hector Pacay Service: House Remodeling, Landscaping, Lawn mowing, Garden mulch, Painting, Gutters, Pruning, Stump Grinding, Chipping, Tree work, Brush removal, Fence, Patio, Carpenter/decks, Masonry. Spring and Fall Cleanup. Commercial & Residential. Fully insured. 845-636-3212.
LABRADOR ORPHAN wanted: as companion for RESCUE MIX (5 years). Sharon. 407-620-7777.
Guests of the carnival at Bunny McGuire Park had a wide variety of rides to choose from, including a classic merry-go-round.
NORTH CANAAN — Four days of festivities concluded Saturday, July 19, with the grand finale of Canaan Summer Nights.
The carnival first arrived at Bunny McGuire Park on Wednesday, kicking off North Canaan Event Committee’s new vision for summer activities in town.
What was previously known as Railroad Days was separated this year into two parts: Canaan Summer Nights in July; and Old Railroad Days Aug. 7 to 10.
Katelin Lopes and Tessa Dekker beneath the fireworks on Saturday, July 19.Photo by Simon Markow
In addition to the carnival last week, the Douglas Library hosted a Roaring 20s cocktail party (see story on Page A9) and the St. Martin of Tours Parish Church of St. Joseph hosted a barbecue chicken dinner on the lawn.
A mix of antique and modern fire engines from Canaan, Lakeville, Norfolk, Sharon, Winsted, Falls Village, Cornwall, Salisbury, and other regional departments paraded down Main Street in the Saturday evening sun. The town welcomed them with waves and applause. Shortly behind the rescue engines were local sports champions, tractors, racecars, trucks and “Ted’s Comedy Wagon” with an endless supply of jokes.
After the sun went down, the crowd only got bigger. At around 9:30 p.m. the fireworks show began and everyone that was lined up for a ride or cotton candy turned to watch. The lucky few at the top of the Ferris wheel got the best view. The fireworks were a token of gratitude for the support of local businesses, vendors, the fire department and to parents carrying prize stuffed animals larger than the children that won them.
Supported by a $250,000 LEAP grant in late June, the 5,200-acre acquisition of a permanent conservation easement by the Kent-based Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy protects the land surrounding the Colebrook Reservoir, the state’s largest remaining untapped drinking water reservoir.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont (D) announced July 15 that the state is awarding $14.3 million in Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition (OSWA) grants to protect 2,270 acres across 22 towns.
The grants, administered to land conservation groups by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), include five properties in the Northwest Connecticut towns of Cornwall, Kent, Salisbury and Sharon, encompassing more than 400 acres with awards totaling more than $3 million.
Trio of grants for NCLC
The Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy (NCLC) has received three significant grant awards to support the acquisition and permanent protection of three properties essential for public recreation and ecological resilience, totaling 5,425 acres. A $1.3 million grant through OSWA leads a trio of recent awards supporting land conservation in Connecticut. The other two grants, totaling $348,500, were awarded by the Connecticut Land Conservation Council’s Land Easement and Acquisition Program (LEAP).
According to NCLC, together, these grants underscore the strong and widespread commitment of public agencies, private organizations, and local communities to conserving natural and working agricultural lands.
Properties being protected include Surdan Mountain Preserve in Sharon, the Colebrook Reservoir Conservation Easement and the Strauss Morrisey Preserve Expansion in Sherman.
The properties provide critical habitat for rare, threatened and endangered species by safeguarding clean water sources, supporting natural wildlife corridors and offering new public access to nature.
With the $1.3M award from OSWA, the protection of the 108-acre Surdan Mountain parcel, which adjoins the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail corridor, will be accessible to all when the preserve opens to the public.
The property includes a dramatic scenic view stretching 20 miles to the summit of Bear Hill, the highest peak in Connecticut; to the peak of Mount Frissell in Massachusetts, and Mount Race in New York State.
The Colebrook Reservoir Conservation Easement was supported by a $250,000 LEAP grant award. The 5,200-acre acquisition of a permanent conservation easement on this parcel protects Connecticut’s largest remaining untapped drinking water reservoir, which directly feeds the designated National Wild and Scenic Farmington River.
“We are incredibly grateful to all our partners for helping to make these acquisitions possible, especially during a time of funding uncertainty,” said NCLC Executive Director Catherine Rawson. “These acquisitions are a big win for our environment and communities.”
A pair of grants
in Cornwall
The Cornwall Conservation Trust earned two OSWA grants, one in the amount of $122,200 for its 41.78-acre Cobble Forest project, and a second, $195,000 grant for its 90-acre Furnace Brook Forest project.
The Cobble Forest property boasts a scenic ridgeline containing Heffers Brook, a high-quality cold-water stream that flows into Mill Brook, a tributary of the Housatonic River. The property rises 330 feet from Heffers Brook along its frontage, up to the rocky slopes of The Cobble. The purchase will create a 332-acre forest lock including Cornwall Conservation Trust’s Day Preserve, Walker Preserve and the Housatonic State Forest.
Furnace Brook is a forested ridgeline parcel on the slopes of Dean Hill, across the road from Wyantenock State Forest. It links to the conservation trust’s Furnace Brook Preserve, a 2018 OSWA grant. The Housatonic Heritage Area’s Hou-Bike trail and Housatonic Covered Bridge trail pass along the property frontage.
Shelley Harms, executive director of Cornwall Conservation Trust, noted that the state’s open space grant program makes it possible for local land trusts to purchase important conservation lands and for landowners to achieve their conservation goals.
“We are so lucky. We live in this beautiful area, and we have a state that invests in protecting our precious forests and streams and wildlife,” said Harms. “With the help of these two state grants, Cornwall Conservation Trust is buying two properties upstream from the Housatonic River within a loop formed by the Mohawk Trail and the Appalachian Trail, part of a gorgeous scenic area and connected to other preserved land.
“People can admire those forested ridges from many points in Cornwall,” she noted, “and when the hiking trails are created, people can immerse themselves in nature and hike up to overlooks where they can enjoy the whole panorama.”
Protecting Kent’s
agricultural history
The Kent Land Trust received a $422,500 OSWA grant for its 62.2-acre Halsted Lovig Property project on Camp Flat Road.
The property in southern Kent bordering New Milford is iconic to Kent’s agricultural past. For several decades it was a humus farm but has been vacant for the past quarter-century. The Kent Land Trust plans to create a recreational resource and protect its critical ecological functions.
The property is exceptional for recreation, nestled between two popular trail systems enabling trail connectivity along a roadway convenient to Kent’s Center on the main route of the Western New England Greenway ad Hou-Bike Walk Trails.
The property also contains diverse wetlands and spring-fed open pools, with data suggesting these habitats support at least seven avian species in great need of protection.
Grant targets Salisbury’s Miles Mountain
The Salisbury Association, Inc., received a $886,600 OSWA grant for its 163.59-acre Miles Mountain project. “Ours was one of the larger ones,” said John Landon, committee chair for the Salisbury Association Land Trust. “We felt pretty secure,” he said of the grant submission,” but it’s official now.”
The property on Weatogue Road is easterly of Tom’s Hill, a previous Salisbury Association OSWA-acquired property. It is subject to a 57-acre conservation easement held by Trustees of Reservations, so the DEEP OSWA conservation easement will encumber 163.59 acres, which surrounds the already preserved parcel on three sides.
An LLC comprising community members had formed to protect Miles Mountain from development until the land trust could raise enough funds to purchase the land from the LLC.
Landon said OSWA will fund up to 65% of the purchase price, and he is optimistic that a Federal Highlands Grant will cover most of the balance, “very similar to the Tom’s Hill scenario,” which was also protected from development by a conservation-minded group of community members which formed an LLC to protect that land.
“From large tracts of land to small pocket parks, this group of projects benefits a variety of communities across the state,” said DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes, who noted that since the state’s open space program began in 1998, more than $190 million in state funding has been awarded to municipalities, nonprofit land conservation groups and water companies to assist in the protection of more than 48,000 acres of publicly accessible land.