Regional 7 students bring ‘The Addams Family’ to the stage
The cast of “The Addams Family” from Northwest Regional School District No. 7 with Principal Kelly Carroll from Ann Antolini Elementary School in New Hartford.
Monique Jaramillo
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Celebrating the spirit and founders of Norfolk’s Aton Forest
Jennifer Almquist
Jul 01, 2026
Dr. Frank Egler, ecologist and founder of Aton Forest, smiles next to his wife, Happy Kitchel Egler. The couple will be honored this month.
Provided
NORFOLK – This month, Norfolk will celebrate the legacy of two Connecticut conservation pioneers. Ecologist Dr. Frank Egler and his wife, photographer Happy Kitchel Egler, founded Aton Forest, the 2,496-acre natural area land trust and ecosystem research field station, which is marking its centennial year.
The milestone will be celebrated throughout July with an exhibition, lectures, and other events marking 100 years of Aton Forest. The recent acquisition of the965-acre Spaulding Pond preserve in South Norfolk from the Connecticut River Conservancy will also be recognized. The preserve was originally created by Happy Kitchel (1912-1978).
Today, Aton Forest’s staff and trustees continue the Eglers’ work by studying and protecting forest preserves, essential ecosystems and vital habitats for wildlife.
Frank Egler (1911-1996) spent more than a half century living in the forest, conducting scientific research, experimenting with vegetation science, and developing his concepts of an integrated ecosystem in the 1500-acre Egler Preserve in North Norfolk and Colebrook. He also worked at The Museum of Natural History where he began a research program on herbicide spraying in rights of way.
Egler praised his wife’s efforts to preserve Spaulding Pond, writing that protecting that tract “was one of the remarkable accomplishments of an extraordinary woman.”
A lesser known experience of Egler’s is his collaboration with aquatic biologist Rachel Carson during her research for her seminal book “Silent Spring.” Carson sought his expertise on the ecological effects of chemical pollution, and correspondence between the two is preserved in Aton Forest’s archives. Egler became an early advocate for limiting herbicide use and wrote of Carson, “Among biologists, the most unsilent and courageous man I know is a woman.”
A prolific writer of five books and more than 300 articles, Egler’s best-known book, “The Wild Gardener and the Wild Landscape: The Art of Naturalistic Landscaping,” is illustrated with his wife’s photographs of Woodchuck Hill, where Egler developed his gardening skills for fifty years, and where he is buried.
Current Aton Forest President and Chief Steward Billy Gridley described Egler as “primarily a plant ecologist . . .and a pioneer in the philosophy of science and the need to understand the human ecosystem.”
Gridley’s new book, “The Spirit of Aton Forest: Frank Egler, Rebel Ecologist in Pursuit of Science and Natural Area Protection,” will be available in a limited edition at the opening reception for the centennial exhibition. Gridley will also speak July 10 at 4:30 p.m. at the Hub in Norfolk.
In the future, Aton Forest plans to expand forest succession research, weather monitoring, citizen science work, and educational opportunities for scientists and students. While not open to the public, through events, gatherings, and education days, the mission of Aton Forest remains constant: “to positively impact thriving natural and human communities in an increasingly ecologically challenged bioregion and biosphere in the 21st century.”
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Sharon residents overwhelmingly approve BOE budget in reversal of May vote
Alec Linden
Jul 01, 2026
Sharon Center School
File photo
SHARON – Sharon residents voted resoundingly in favor of the proposed 2026-27 town spending plan on Monday, June 29, reversing their rejection of the budget several weeks ago and bringing to an end the dispute over funding of the Sharon Center School.
The proposal passed Monday by a vote of 90 in favor versus 12 against, a turnaround from essentially the same one that was rejected 114-99 at a May 8 town meeting. That meeting brought the highest turnout in recent memory to a budget vote.
The only difference in the updated budget is a minor reduction in the municipal bottom line due to staffing changes at Town Hall, coming in at a total of $5,408,605. The Board of Education’s elementary school budget remained unchanged with a bottom line of $4,165,513.
Sharon Center School has been the subject of an extended dispute between the Board of Finance – which cites fiscal responsibility as its motivation to keep the budget flat – and school advocates who have described the board’s actions as inflexible.
After weeks of negotiations, the Board of Finance returned the same education budget to voters while creating a $35,000 reserve fund from its undesignated account that could be used for school expenses if needed.
During the meeting, BOF Chair Tom Bartram said the fund was an attempt “to solve the disparity between what the BOF would authorize and what the BOE presented,” referring to an earlier draft of the education budget that was trimmed by $69,000 to meet the BOF’s 0% increase requirement.
Since the fund was proposed by the BOF at its June 16 meeting, several school administrators and advocates have criticized the amount and for having the BOF be in control of disbursing the money. Still, the new fund passed.
First Selectman Casey Flanagan said he was happy the town could agree on a budget before the start of the fiscal year on July 1. “We can schedule road work, we can put orders in on vehicles and equipment,” he said. He also said new hires and town employees with cost-of-living wage increases will see normal pay.
Flanagan said he thought the creation of the fund was a turning point in getting the town to approve the budget. “No one got everything they wanted,” he said. And when dealing with compromises, “that’s a good thing.”
BOE Chair Philip O’Reilly agreed with Flanagan’s assessment. He said the public budget disputes of the last two months have demonstrated the importance of “informed citizenship” in processes like these.
O’Reilly has consistently affirmed that the proposed flat budget is a well-funded budget for the school that will provide for its students’ needs.
“Somehow the message got out that we weren’t taking care of our children,” he said, “and that couldn’t be further from the truth, and it never will be true.”
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Salisbury prepares to host second NASCAR event with parade, pit-stop party
Annie Prinz
Jul 01, 2026
The White Hart is gearing up for Lime Rock’s second NASCAR event, and will host a “pit stop party” as CRAFTSMAN Truck Series haulers tower down Main Street.
Courtesy of lime rock park
SALISBURY – For a second consecutive year, NASCAR returns to the Northwest Corner and will kick off the weekend with a parade down Main Street and Pit Stop Party at the White Hart Inn Thursday, July 9.
The CRAFTSMAN Truck Series haulers – tractor-trailers designed to carry racing vehicles, serving as the race team’s mobile garage and storage facility – will tower over Main Street, giving residents and race fans a preview of the upcoming LIUNA 150 race weekend at Lime Rock Park.
The main event will take place at The White Hart Inn, where the best viewing spots for the parade can be found. In addition to providing a good view, the weekend celebrations will continue at the White Hart’s free NASCAR Pit Stop Party from 4 to 6 p.m.
The haulers are expected to pass the inn at about 4:30 p.m., offering spectators a central viewing location as the convoy travels through town. Escorted by the Connecticut State Police, the parade will consist of nearly 40 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series haulers, traveling from North Canaan to Lime Rock Park.
Emma Osborne, assistant manager at The White Hart, said the inn’s lawn will be open for viewing. The outdoor bar will be open, free popcorn will be available for spectators, and Provisions, the inn’s cafe and general store, will remain open until 6 p.m.
After the haulers pass, fans will have the chance to meet several drivers, including Tanner Gray, Tricon Crew Chief Scott Zipadelli and others, at a 4:45 p.m. meet-and-greet at The White Hart. The parade and party are intended to bring the race weekend beyond Lime Rock Park and into the surrounding community before competition begins.
The LIUNA 150 weekend will begin Friday, July 10, with ARCA Menards Series racing. The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and USF Juniors will race Saturday, July 11. Lime Rock Park presents the Pit Stop Party in partnership with NASCAR, The White Hart Inn and local sponsors.
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Life-sized Declaration of Independence hangs outside of Sharon Town Hall
Aly Morrissey
Jul 01, 2026
Sharon resident and activist Deborah Moore stands proudly in front of the Declaration of Independence that hangs from Town Hall.
Provided
“It reminds us that freedom is never just about individual rights; it is also about mutual responsibility.”
—Deborah Moore
SHARON – Resident and activist Deborah Moore is the driving force behind a new 7-by-9-foot reproduction of the Declaration of Independence that hangs between the main columns at Town Hall. The banner will serve as a patriotic backdrop during Saturday’s festivities, which will include a complete reading of the founding document at the Hotchkiss Library.
The Fourth of July is often a time for fireworks and celebrations, Moore said, but this year has placed a welcome focus on history. With a background in public art, she thought the installation would be a positive way to celebrate the country’s founding principles.
“When I brought the idea to the 250th planning committee and the historical society, they loved it,” Moore said. The initial idea was to march in the Memorial Day parade with the banner to promote the Fourth of July celebrations, but the rain cancellation forced other plans.
The banner will hang at Town Hall until after July 4.
Moore said the Declaration’s final passages, which focus on people working toward a common goal in unity, inspired her to conceive of the large-scale public display.
“It reminds us that freedom is never just about individual rights; it is also about mutual responsibility,” she said. “The signers tied their futures together, accepting real risk for the sake of a common good larger than any one person.”
Publicly standing up for what we believe in is a right, Moore said, and one she sees exercised on the local level.
Moore said she has seen that spirit firsthand through community efforts such as the Save Sharon Hospital campaign, which successfully blocked Nuvance Health from shutting down the hospital’s labor and delivery unit. Moore and others worked for years to rally support from residents, local politicians and lawmakers.
“That’s true democracy in motion,” she said.
Moore said she sees the same commitment reflected in other ways throughout Sharon.
“It can show up in quieter acts of service,” she said, citing neighbors volunteering on boards and commissions, parents and educators working for better schools, residents turning out to vote, and looking out for one another.
“The founders’ final words are not relics of 1776; they are an ongoing invitation to treat citizenship as a shared pledge — one we renew together, day by day, close to home.”
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North Canaan median home price reaches $350K
Christine Bates
Jul 01, 2026
26 Granite Ave., which recently sold for $595,000, consists of two renovated residences on .91 acres - a Victorian main house built in 1882 with 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms and a 576-square-foot studio with 1 bedroom and 1.5 bath.
Christine Bates
NORTH CANAAN – The median price for a single-family home in North Canaan was $350,000 for the 12-month period ending May 31, 2026, according to Multiple Listing Service (MLS) data, reflecting strong sales.
The latest median marks a 23% increase from the $284,500 median recorded for the 12 months ending May 2025 and a 26% increase from the $277,950 median recorded for the comparable period ending May 2024. The all-time high of $357,750 was recorded during the 12-month period ending April 2026.
Homes in North Canaan have been selling quickly, spending an average of 14 days on the market before going under contract. By comparison, the average was 37 days in Salisbury and 43 days in Sharon during the rolling 12-month period ending in May.
The number of homes sold during the 12 months ending May 31, 2026, totaled 29, up from 14 during the previous 12-month period and 24 during the 12 months ending May 31, 2024.
Sales peaked at 47 during the 12-month period ending in August 2021, at the height of the COVID-era housing boom.
There were 10 single-family homes on the market at the end of June, indicating the spring selling season had arrived in North Canaan. Only two were listed below the median price of $350,000, while four were priced above $500,000, suggesting home prices are likely to remain high.
April and May Transfers
41 Prospect St. – 3 bedroom/2 bath bungalow built in 1927 on .23 acres transferred by Natasha Clark Coons to Argos Ventures LLC for $210,000 on April 22, 2026
37 Green Ave. – 3 bedroom/1 bath raised ranch built in 1962 transferred by Anne Fitzgerald to David Santos for $370,000 on April 23, 2026
143 East Canaan Road – 6 bedroom/2.5 bath home on 12.49 acres transferred by High Watch Recovery Center Inc. to Michael Joseph Poynton on May 5, 2026 for $1,000,000
26 Granite Ave. – Two buildings on 1.32 acres transferred by Adam Eisenberg to Wildboys LLC for $595,000 – see photo caption for details
16 Browns Lane – 2 bedroom/1 bath cape on .91 acres transferred by Ashley Ann Moore to Logan Trey Bermas for $345,000
* Town of North Canaan real estate transfers recorded between April 1, 2026, and May 31, 2026, provided by North Canaan 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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Police Blotter: Troop B
Lakeville Journal
Jul 01, 2026
Police Blotter: Troop B
John Coston
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.
Railroad Street rear-end
Around noon on June 24, Richmond Shirlock, 55, of Canaan braked to initiate a left turn from Railroad Street in North Canaan when a vehicle following closely behind struck the rear bumper of the Chevrolet Equinox he drove. The trailing vehicle, a Dodge Durango GT driven by Jessica King, 35, of North Canaan, was disabled in the incident, though the Equinox was driven from the scene. Neither driver reported injuries, and King was ultimately issued an infraction for following too closely.
Low hanging wires snag vehicle
Near 1 p.m. on June 27, Juan Gonzalez, 41, of the Bronx, New York attempted to make a turn into the Pink House restaurant parking lot in West Cornwall when the top of the Hino vehicle he drove struck utility wires, causing minor damage to the roof. The wires were concluded to be low hanging, causing officers not to take any enforcement action.
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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