Robotics team raises $1,000 at annual dinner

Finn Malone, Steven Barber, Addie Diorio, and Ivy Zeng serving food donated by Freunds Farm in the buffet line at the robotics dinner on Nov. 6.
Maddy Johnson


Finn Malone, Steven Barber, Addie Diorio, and Ivy Zeng serving food donated by Freunds Farm in the buffet line at the robotics dinner on Nov. 6.
The HVRHS robotics team hosted their annual dinner at Freunds Farm on Nov. 6.
The dinner had it all from lemonade, to chicken and apple crisp. And proceeds from the $20 entrance fee provided the robotics team with funding for important equipment needed for their robot.
Although they have a separate fund already, the robotics team has a lot to pay for. The team stays at hotels for competitions, pay to enter competitions, and most importantly, have to upgrade their robot every year.
“The money goes towards new driving technology for the robot called swerve drive,” said robotics team member Danny Lesch. “This includes inverted wheels in each corner. It makes a big difference in competitions and helps us with getting far.”
The annual dinner helps with outreach as much as fundraising. “We are looking for other ways to get more people to know about it because people don’t think it has the excitement of GNH football or intensity of soccer,” Lesch said. “But if more people knew how fun and intense it was, more people would join.”

The team brought their robots to show off at the dinner. They explained the robot, thanked everyone for coming, and the members also all served the food. The food itself was donated by Freunds Farm.
“Freunds is very generous, food free of charge, they helped set up, and serve the food,” Lesch said. “Yeah so it’s very generous. They are probably losing money on it.”
The robotics team madeabout $1,000 from the dinner. This will provide them with the money they need to buy new parts for their robot. As their only fundraiser every year, a lot rides on the event. Families, friends, and teachers all attend to support the team and share a meal together outside of home and the classroom.
Lakeville Journal
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Message to Customers of the Sharon Water System: On June 4th and 5th, the Sharon Sewer and Water Commission will be flush-ing the water mains between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM. On June 4th, all lines north of West Main Street including West Main and Hospital Hill will be completed. The remainder of the system will be flushed on June 5th, 2026. Customers can expect to experience intermittent decreases of water pressure with the potential for discolored water. Limiting water consumption will help to minimize the impact on individual service lines. It is also advisable to refrain from doing laundry, as potential iron and manganese slugs could result in staining. If any customers notice that their water is discolored or turbid after 4:00 PM they should run their water until it clears before consumption or laundry. Past experience has shown water quality to return to normal within a couple of hours. We apologize for any inconvenience that this might cause you, and thank you for your cooperation. If you have any questions or concerns, please call VRI at 860-364-0457. May 18, 2026.
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The Planning & Zoning Commission of the Town of Salisbury will hold a Public Hearing on Special Permit Application # 2026-0321 by owners Michael S Shuster & Deborah A Morel for a detached apartment on a single-family residential lot at 94 Salmon Kill Road, Salisbury, Map 11, Lot 31 per Section 208 of the Salisbury Zoning Regulations. The hearing will be held on Monday, June 15, 2026 at 6:45 PM. There is no physical location for this meeting. This meeting will be held virtually via Zoom where interested persons can listen to & speak on the matter. The application, agenda and meeting instructions will be listed at www.salisburyct.us/agendas/. The application materials will be listed at www.salisburyct.us/planning-zoning-meeting-documents/. Written com-ments may be submitted to the Land Use Office, Salisbury Town Hall, 27 Main Street, P.O. Box 548, Salisbury, CT or via email to landuse@salisburyct.us. Paper copies of the agenda, meeting instructions, and application materials may be reviewed Monday through Thursday be-tween the hours of 8:00 AM and 3:30 PM at the Land Use Office, Salisbury Town Hall, 27 Main Street, Salisbury CT.
Salisbury Planning & Zoning
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Robert Riva, Secretary
06-04-26
06-11-26
Notice of Decision
Town of Salisbury Inland Wetlands & Watercourses Commission
Notice is hereby given that the following actions were taken by the Inland Wet-lands & Watercourses Commission of the Town of Salisbury, Connecticut on May 26, 2026: Approved — Application IWWC-26-24 by George Johannesen of Allied Engineering Associates to repair septic systems and install an alternate driveway at 231 Twin Lakes Road, Salisbury. The property is shown on Salisbury Assessor's map 24 as lot 2 and is owned by the American School for the Deaf.Deemed Exempt — Application IWWC-26-24 by Thomas Tobin for a dock at 69 Reservoir Road, Lakeville. The property is shown on Salisbury Assessor's map 9 as lot 65 and is owned by Thomas Tobin & Amber Morgan.Any aggrieved person may appeal this decision to the Connecticut Superior Court in accordance with the provisions of Connecticut General Statutes § 22a-43(a) & §8-8.
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Sally Spillane, Secretary
06-04-26
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
ESTATE OF GEORGE M.HOWARD
Late of Massachusetts (26-00165)
The Hon. Jordan M. Richards, Judge of the Court of Probate, District of Litchfield Hills Probate Court, by decree dated May 14, 2026, ordered that all claims must be presented to the fiduciary at the address below. Failure to promptly present any such claim may result in the loss of rights to recover on such claim.The fiduciary is:Camille A. Albericoc/o Anthony R Dechello Dechello Law Firm LLC 110 Washington Avenue North Haven, CT 06473
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Lakeville Journal
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TOWN OF SHARON HELP WANTED: Building Department /Land Use Office Support, part-time, approximately 25 hours per week, $24.70 per hour. Position provides administrative support for the Building Official, Fire Marshal, and Land Use Administrator. Qualifications: High School Diploma or GED (Associates Degree Preferred) with 4 years increasingly responsible work experience, preferably in administrative work, public con-tact, and field of municipal government. For full job description, see the Town of Sharon Website (sharonct.gov) or con-tact the Selectmen's Office at 860-364-5789. Applications and resumes are to be received in the Selectmen's Office, P. O. Box 385, Sharon, CT 06069 by 4:00PM June 15, 2026. The Town of Sharon is an equal opportunity employer.
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PUBLISHER'S NOTICE: Equal Housing Opportunity. All real estate advertised in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1966 revised March 12, 1989 which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on race, color religion, sex, handicap or familial status or national origin or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. All residential property advertised in the State of Connecticut General Statutes 46a-64c which prohibit the making, printing or publish-ing or causing to be made, printed or published any notice, statement or advertisement with respect to the sale or:rental of a dwelling that indicates any preference, limitation or discrimi-nation based on race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, age, lawful source of income, familial status, physical or mental disability or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.
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Christian Murray
Cole Bushnell, 41, of Ashley Falls is arraigned on one count of murder at Southern Berkshire District Court June 2. He is being held without bail.
SHEFFIELD – An Ashley Falls, Massachusetts, man is being held without bail after prosecutors alleged he killed a Connecticut man whose body was later discovered on his property.
Cole Bushnell, 41, was arraigned Tuesday in Southern Berkshire District Court on one count of murder, according to the Berkshire District Attorney's Office.
The victim, identified as 40-year-old Michael Moore of Winsted, worked with Bushnell in the painting industry, and the two had at one point been friends. Moore was found with blunt-force trauma to the skull and small lacerations to his back consistent with a knife wound, according to prosecutors.
Bushnell, who has deep ties to Connecticut, attended North Canaan Elementary School and Housatonic Valley Regional High School. He is the owner of Bushnell Painting LLC, which services Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Prosecutors said Bushnell believed the victim had stolen money from him in connection with a job they were working on together. They also alleged that Bushnell had been exhibiting erratic behavior in the days leading up to the incident and had turned off surveillance cameras at his home, according to statements made by his fiancée.
The investigation began after a witness contacted Connecticut State Police and reported a dead body at 546 Polikoff Road in Ashley Falls, where Bushnell resides. According to prosecutors, Bushnell had shown the witness, who allegedly worked with him, the victim's body inside a greenhouse on the property. The witness then left the residence and contacted law enforcement.
Connecticut State Police notified the Sheffield Police Department, which responded to the property.
Officers located a body at the scene and contacted Massachusetts State Police Detectives Unit assigned to the Berkshire District Attorney's Office. The Berkshire State Police Detective Unit was notified of the suspected homicide at approximately 1:34 p.m. June 1, authorities said.
Bushnell was not at the residence when law enforcement arrived. Investigators said he returned to the property at approximately 5:23 p.m. and was arrested by members of the Berkshire State Police Detective Unit. He was allegedly wearing clothes stained in a reddish/brown color, consistent with blood.
Bushnell, who prosecutors say has an extensive criminal record in both Connecticut and Massachusetts, is barred from having contact with any witnesses. His next court date is scheduled to take place July 16.
Additional reporting by Madi Long and Nathan Miller (Updated: 5:31 p.m.)


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Ruth Epstein
Business is brisk at the opening day of the Kent Memorial Library's used book sale May 22
KENT – The Kent Memorial Library’s popular used book sale drew eager shoppers on opening day Friday, May 22despite being held in a new location this year.
With the library’s North Main Street building undergoing a major renovation, the sale has temporarily moved to the library’s quarters on Landmark Lane in the Kent Shopping Center, thanks to property owner John Casey.
Shoppers began lining up well before the 1 p.m. opening. Many were book dealers, loading bags and boxes with their finds.
“Dealers are frequent customers,” said Perry Smith, chair of the book sale committee. “Our prices are very reasonable and we have a large selection.”
Smith watched as several patrons made a beeline for the art books, quickly snapping up much of the inventory. The sale offers genres for nearly every interest, with fiction remaining especially popular. Hardcover books sell for $3, and all titles are donated.
“Book sale committee members spent 244 hours organizing and putting out the books,” Smith said.
The books are arranged by category, making it easy for shoppers to browse specific subjects.
Brett Busang of Gaylordsville stumbled upon the sale by chance while visiting town. After noticing the crowd, he stopped to take a look and left with several purchases.
“Poetry found me,” he said. “They have an excellent selection and great prices.”
Denise and Hans Ribbeck of New Milford were also pleased with their discoveries. Denise found three Stephen King novels to add to her collection, while Hans succeeded in his search for graphic novels.
“This is really a great sale,” he said. “I appreciate how organized you are.”
The sale runs from May through October and is open Fridays from 1 to 5 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is staffed entirely by volunteers, who sort and price books, work as cashiers and help set up and cover the inventory each day.
Ruth Epstein
Andrew Rowand, curator and site administrator at the Eric Sloane Museum, gives a talk at recent 'People and Places of Kent' event.
KENT – Visitors to the latest “People and Places in Kent” program got a behind-the-scenes look at one of the town’s most notable attractions when Eric Sloane Museum curator and site administrator Andrew Rowand spoke about the museum’s history, collections and namesake.
The presentation, sponsored by the Kent Senior Center and Kent Historical Society, explored the legacy of Eric Sloane, the artist, author and collector whose passion for preserving early American tools and traditions led to the creation of Connecticut’s first state-funded museum. Located on Route 7 north of the village, the museum has welcomed visitors since 1969 and is now designated a National Historic Landmark.
Last year, approximately 7,000 visitors toured the site, which is open from May through October.
Sloane, who was born Everard Hinrichs in Queens, New York, in 1905, reinvented himself early in life. He adopted the name Eric Sloane, taking Eric from the middle letters of “American” and Sloane from painter John Sloan.
After spending time in New Mexico, where he became captivated by the skies and weather of the Southwest, Sloane returned to the East Coast and built a reputation as an aviation artist and writer despite having no formal artistic training. During World War II, he was commissioned to create flight manuals for military pilots.
His interest in early American life grew alongside a collection of Farmers’ Almanacs and antique tools.
“He liked to reach back in time and connect to people of the past,” Rowand said.
That fascination eventually led Sloane to assemble one of the nation’s most significant collections of early American hand tools. He chronicled that passion in his 1964 book, Museum of Early American Tools, which later served as the blueprint for the museum itself.
Sloane’s collection caught the attention of Stanley Works, which owned a large tract of land along the Housatonic River in Kent. In the 1960s, the company proposed building a museum if
Sloane agreed to contribute his collection. He did, and the museum opened in 1969. Stanley Works later donated the facility to the state. Originally known as the Sloane-Stanley Museum, it was eventually renamed the Eric Sloane Museum.
Kent was viewed as an ideal location for the museum because Sloane had lived in nearby Cornwall and Warren, the town was already a destination for visitors and the project would help reclaim land that had previously been excavated.
The museum’s collection includes hundreds of tools used by early Americans, including augers, drills, shovels and other implements. Visitors are encouraged to handle many of the replicas and gain a firsthand understanding of how earlier generations worked and lived.
A replica of Sloane’s studio is also on display, including several paintings he was working on at the time of his death in 1985.
Rowand, who has led the museum for six years, acknowledged that he is one of many self-described “Eric Sloane nerds.” He noted that some admirers have tattoos inspired by Sloane’s illustrations and tool drawings, while one enthusiast even decorated a bathroom wall with the designs.
The museum hosts a variety of seasonal programs, including an artist-in-residence program and activities for children.
The grounds are also home to the Kent Furnace, which produced pig iron from 1826 until 1892, and the Noah Blake cabin, a pioneer structure built in 1974 and restored in 2020 by the Friends of Eric Sloane.
Rowand said he is honored to help preserve Sloane’s legacy and make it accessible to future generations.
“It’s a privilege to be part of preserving his life and career and making it accessible for future generations,” he said.
Alec Linden
A blue SUV remains in a ditch after an early-morning crash along Segar Mountain Road in Kent May 27.
KENT – A driver escaped with minor injuries after an SUV crashed into a utility pole and water line before rolling into a ditch along Segar Mountain Road early Wednesday morning, May 27, disrupting traffic for much of the day and affecting water service to a nearby residence.
The single-vehicle crash occurred around 4:30 a.m. near 36 Segar Mountain Road, just under half a mile east of the intersection with South Kent Road. State police said the blue SUV struck the pole, went over a guardrail and came to stop in a roadside ditch.
The driver was transported to Danbury Hospital with minor injuries, according to police.
The damage to a utility pole forced crews to shut down parts of the road and reduce traffic to a single lane throughout the day. First Selectman Eric Epstein announced that traffic would be impacted as utility companies make repairs. Motorists were advised to avoid the area until the work is complete.
As of 2 p.m., traffic at the scene was reduced to alternating single lane travel. Employees from Eversource Energy, Aquarion Water Company and the state Department of Transportation were at the site making repairs to the utility pole and wiring. They have yet to provide an estimate for when the repairs will finish.
The car was still in the ditch as of mid-afternoon, officials on the scene said.
In an email to Kent residents, which was sent at approximately 12:40 p.m., Epstein reported that a water line connected to one residence in the area was also damaged, but clarified that it was not the line supplying the town.


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