Shining a light on lamp repairs

KENT — Tucked away on Route 7 one mile south of Kent Falls is a repair shop of a unique kind. Tamara Polk, owner of Starlight Lamp, specializes in fixing and refurbishing lamps.

Originally hailing from Madison, Wis., Polk began her career working for her father in his lamp repair shop there. 

“After my dad retired from working with heavy equipment following back surgery, he went to work for a lady who owned the lamp repair shop, eventually buying the business. He was the kind of guy who could fix anything,” she said.

When Tamara moved to Cornwall in 2006 to live closer to her now-husband, Don Polk, her father sent her off with a box of lamp repair tools and supplies. She began Starlight Lamp Repair out of her house before she moved to the current location at 351 Kent-Cornwall Road four years ago.

Looking around Polk’s shop, one can see she has the tools, parts and knick-knacks to do it all. 

“I rewire, restore, rebuild, refinish and create custom lamps,” she explained. “Lamps carry stories with them. From family heirlooms to junkyard finds, each one has a story behind it. People get quite attached to lamps.”

An artist and painter, Polk has also helped design custom lighting, including working with blacksmith William Trowbridge of Sharon to create wrought iron wall sconces. 

“Will came to me with an idea in mind, and we worked together. I helped him figure out the specifics of the sconce design to allow for wiring,” she said. 

Polk is now working to refurbish some lamps that were caught in a house fire.

Color matching is perhaps one of the trickiest parts of her job. 

“She’s got that down, though,” said her husband, Don. 

“She gets really fancy with spray paint,”  he said, referencing her two-handed technique. “I came in one day and she had a can of spray paint in each hand and was swirling them around a lamp. The blend of colors came out perfectly.”

Starlight Lamp also has an online shop on eBay, where Polk sells replacement parts, lamps and shades. Her eBay shop can be found at www.ebay.com/usr/starlightlamprepaironlinestore.  Call Starlight Lamp Repair at 860-318-1341 or 860-672-0322, or send an email to starlightlamprepair@yahoo.com.

Latest News

Rhys V. Bowen

LAKEVILLE — Rhys V. Bowen, 65, of Foxboro, Massachusetts, died unexpectedly in his sleep on Sept. 15, 2025. Rhys was born in Sharon, Connecticut, on April 9, 1960 to Anne H. Bowen and the late John G. Bowen. His brother, David, died in 1979.

Rhys grew up at The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, where his father taught English. Attending Hotchkiss, Rhys excelled in academics and played soccer, basketball, and baseball. During these years, he also learned the challenges and joys of running, and continued to run at least 50 miles a week, until the day he died.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kelsey K. Horton

LAKEVILLE — Kelsey K. Horton, 43, a lifelong area resident, died peacefully on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, at Norwalk Hospital in Norwalk, Connecticut, following a courageous battle with cancer. Kelsey worked as a certified nursing assistant and administrative assistant at Noble Horizons in Salisbury, from 1999 until 2024, where she was a very respected and loved member of their nursing and administrative staff.

Born Oct. 4, 1981, in Sharon, she was the daughter of W. Craig Kellogg of Southern Pines, North Carolina, and JoAnne (Lukens) Tuncy and her husband Donald of Millerton, New York. Kelsey graduated with the class of 1999 from Webutuck High School in Amenia and from BOCES in 1999 with a certificate from the CNA program as well. She was a longtime member of the Lakeville United Methodist Church in Lakeville. On Oct. 11, 2003, in Poughkeepsie, New York, she married James Horton. Jimmy survives at home in Lakeville. Kelsey loved camping every summer at Waubeeka Family Campground in Copake, and she volunteered as a cheer coach for A.R.C. Cheerleading for many years. Kelsey also enjoyed hiking and gardening in her spare time and spending time with her loving family and many dear friends.

Keep ReadingShow less
Eliot Warren Brown

SHARON — On Sept. 27, Eliot Warren Brown was shot and killed at age 47 at his home in New Orleans, Louisiana, in a random act of violence by a young man in need of mental health services. Eliot was born and raised in Sharon, Connecticut, and attended Indian Mountain School and Concord Academy in Massachusetts. He graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He and his wife Brooke moved to New Orleans to answer the call for help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and fell in love with the city.

In addition to his wife Brooke, Eliot leaves behind his parents Malcolm and Louise Brown, his sisters Lucia (Thaddeus) and Carla (Ruairi), three nephews, and extended family and friends spread far and wide.

Keep ReadingShow less
Randall Osolin

SHARON — Randall “Randy” Osolin passed away on Sept. 25, 2025, at the age of 74. He was born on Feb. 6, 1951, in Sharon, Connecticut to the late Ramon (Sonny) and Barbara (Sandmeyer) Osolin.

He was a dedicated social worker, a natural athlete, a gentle friend of animals, an abiding parish verger, an inveterate reader, and an estimable friend and neighbor. He was a kind-hearted person whose greatest joy was in helping someone in need and sharing his time with his family and good friends.

Keep ReadingShow less