Thank you!
Your support is sustaining the future of local news in our communities.

Help with vaccines available through town

Help with vaccines available through town
Temperatures have been cold enough to set some solid ice at Trotta Field. Conditions were perfect last Saturday — although the ice remained empty in the afternoon.
Photo by Patrick L. Sullivan

SALISBURY — First Selectman Curtis Rand said his main concern at the moment was finding seniors who do not have computer access or are having trouble getting registered for the COVID-19 vaccine.

Rand spoke at the monthly online meeting of the Board of Selectmen Monday, Feb. 1. Selectman Chris Williams was busy with the road crew and did not attend, and Selectman Don Mayland had technical difficulties and was delayed.

Once the meeting was formally convened, Rand expressed his vaccination concerns and turned it over to Lisa McAuliffe, who runs the town’s senior programs at the Grove.

McAuliffe said for seniors struggling to get vaccinated, the simplest thing to do is call her at 860-435-5186 for assistance. [The state has also expanded its help line, see story in this issue Page A1.]

McAuliffe also mentioned that the basketball court at Trotta Field has been flooded for an ice skating rink, see photo above. The rink is the size of a standard ice hockey rink and is divided between a sticks-and-pucks section and a general skating section.

Rand provided an update on flashing beacons for Main Street (Route 44) crossings in the center of Salisbury and at The White Hart. He said the beacons are just about through the state Department of Transportation approval process. He also cautioned that per state regulation the beacons in the center of Salisbury will require the loss of four parking spaces.

Rand said the town plans to install a similar beacon where the rail trail crosses Salmon Kill Road. That project is easier to do because it is on a town road.

The selectmen approved a motion to increase building permit fees from $7 per thousand to $10 per thousand. Rand said the fee hasn’t changed in years and the extra revenue will help offset the increase in Town Hall expenses related to building supervision.

While waiting for Mayland to join the meeting Rand took the opportunity to address a rumor he’d heard, that there was some talk of paving over the small park and garden at the Holley Street end of Factory Pond.

“That’s not going to happen,” Rand said. “It was never going to happen, and we’re not thinking about it.”

Rand repeated this on Feb. 4 at the Affordable Housing Commission meeting.

Latest News

Let's Hear It - September 17, 2026

Let's Hear It - September 17, 2026

This Week

As summer comes to an end and the days begin to get a little cooler, signs of fall are starting to appear all around us. The leaves are beginning to change, the evenings are getting shorter, and a new season of activities and traditions is just around the corner.

Keep ReadingShow less

$5,000

$5,000

Letters to the Editor - September 17, 2026

Letters to the Editor - September 17, 2026

Put $1M to work for housing affordability

If I had $1 million to improve housing affordability in Litchfield County, I would create a revolving Housing Opportunity Fund. Instead of spending the entire amount on one or two homes, I would use it to help local housing trusts acquire land or properties, provide down-payment assistance for qualified buyers, convert appropriate existing buildings into housing, and help cover some of the upfront costs that can prevent good housing projects from ever getting started.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

Turning Back the Pages - September 17, 2026

125 years ago — September 1901

LIME ROCK — Matthew Patterson recently received a silver medal from the Canadian government as a token of his services during the Fenian raid in ‘71. The medal is suitably inscribed and is considerably heavier than a silver dollar. It depends from a silk tri-color and pin, and altogether makes a very neat souvenir.

Keep ReadingShow less
Voices from our community about the housing we need for a healthy, vibrant future

Jordan Seibert and Riley Bossi

Shelly Dinelle

There’s a reason people say, “It takes a village to raise a child.” To thrive, a child needs a safe, stable place to call home. That’s the bedrock for health, dignity, and the chance to build a bright future. What kind of “village” does it take to create these homes?

Motivated by compassion and a drive to make housing more accessible, it took the Foundation for Norfolk Living years of hard work to create ten affordable homes at Haystack Woods. The “village” turned out to be a patchwork of support that included financial help from the DOH, a construction mortgage through Northwest Community Bank, and a Community Development Block Grant to purchase the property and pay for the road and infrastructure. The result? Two- and three-bedroom homes reserved for first-time homebuyers earning 60-80% of Litchfield County’s median income, and selling for $159,000 to $261,000. The condominium homes are deed-restricted and net-zero thanks to energy-efficient construction, solar panels, and battery storage, meaning the homebuyers will have no energy costs! Curious? Just Google “Haystack Woods” to learn more. It’s a remarkable accomplishment.

Keep ReadingShow less
Selectmen back $113,000 request for new ambulance

FALLS VILLAGE — The Board of Selectmen approved a request from the Fire Commission for $113,000 toward a new ambulance scheduled for delivery in November.

The selectmen acted during their regular monthly meeting Monday, Sept. 14.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.