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Constance Walsh
Oct 02, 2024
LAKEVILLE — Constance (Connie) Walsh of Quogue, New York and West Palm Beach, Florida, passed away peacefully on Sept. 16, following a brief illness and surrounded by the warm embrace of her loving family.
Born Aug. 2, 1938, in New York City, Connie grew up in Riverdale, attended Marymount College, and raised her family in New Rochelle, Bronxville, and Manhattan.
A lover of sand and sea, she spent her childhood summers on the beach in Point Lookout, then, with her parents, sister and brother, discovered Westhampton Beach and later Quogue where she and her six children have summered for decades.
An avid athlete, fabulous dancer, fashion maven, and invincible entrepreneur, Connie founded the children’s modeling agency Rascals Unlimited in Manhattan, opened the first internet cafe and coffee house in Lakeville, and became a prominent real estate broker in New York City and Quogue.
Connie was predeceased by her parents, Billie and Tom Walsh, her sister, Barbara Freehill, and brother, Thomas Walsh.
A charismatic, valiant spirit and lover of life, Connie inspired all who met her.
She is survived by her six adoring children; Billie Fitzpatrick (Gretchen Weimer),Tracy Finnegan (Joe), Tara Fitzpatrick, Jacqui Fitzpatrick, Siobhan Austin (Bob), and Ryan Fitzpatrick (Tom Cunningham); eleven grandchildren, Conor McGlone, Brendan McGlone, Darby McGlone, Joey McGlone, and Sophia Fitzpatrick, Sean Finnegan, Patrick Finnegan, and Daniel Finnegan, Grace Fitzpatrick and Dare Fitzpatrick, and Maud Fitzpatrick.
A Memorial Mass will be held at Immaculate Conception, Quogue, NY at 11 a.m. Oct. 26, followed by a reception at the Quogue Field Club.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
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High-speed rail turns 60 this month
Oct 02, 2024
Japan’s Shinkansen “bullet train.”
Syced/Creative Commons
Happy 60th birthday to high-speed rail. It was on October 1st in 1964 that the Shinkansen, Japan’s revolutionary super-fast train, made its debut.
Known as the “bullet train” because of its aerodynamic shape, the Shinkansen (which translates as “new trunk line”) made the run from Tokyo to Osaka in 4 hours and 40 minutes compared to the conventional trains, which took two hours longer.
Today, with the evolution of Japanese rail technology, the run now takes just 2 ½ hours, averaging about 200 mph. In peak hours the trains leave every three to five minutes, each carrying up to 1300 passengers.
In contrast, Amtrak’s fastest train, Acela, runs once an hour carrying a maximum of 304 passengers at an average speed (including station stops) of about 80 mph. By the way, Acela may be the fastest train in the U.S. but it’s not true high-speed rail (defined as 155 mph or faster and running on dedicated tracks).
How did Japan beat the world to this concept? Out of necessity.
Amtrak’s fastest train, Acela, carries a maximum of 304 passengers at an average speed of about 80 mph.
After World War II, Japan experienced rapid economic recovery and growth. Urbanization increased dramatically, and major cities like Tokyo and Osaka became densely populated. There was an obvious need for faster and more efficient transportation to connect these urban hubs, especially along the Tōkaidō corridor, which was Japan’s busiest route.
Before the Shinkansen, conventional rail lines in Japan were heavily congested, especially between Tokyo and Osaka. The existing trains were slow, operated on narrow gauge tracks and couldn’t meet the growing demand for travel, both for business and leisure. Building a high-speed rail system would relieve this congestion and shorten travel times.
Japan also wanted to demonstrate its technological innovation and engineering prowess to the world, especially in the lead-up to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The Shinkansen became a symbol of Japan’s post-war recovery, showcasing cutting-edge technology in transportation and helping to raise its profile on the global stage.
Today there are over 1800 miles of high speed rail in Japan annually carrying 353 million riders, and they are already building a $64 billion maglev version that can go 314 mph. It should be ready by 2034.\
Japan Rail (JR) had hoped to export its expertise to other countries but only Taiwan adopted the technology and only in a limited fashion.
France quickly followed with its TGV, la Train a Grande Vitesse (high-speed train) introducing its first service in 1981 running between Paris and Lyon. Today there are over 1700 miles of TGV service in France.
Italy, Germany, Spain, Russia and even Morocco operate high-speed rail. But it is China that has the most extensive network covering 28,000 miles of tracks. The line from Beijing to Hong Kong alone runs 1,400 miles and, despite its speeds averaging 217 mph, takes 8.5 hours to complete its journey. There’s even an overnight high-speed train with sleeping cars.
In the U.S. there’s a high-speed rail project being built in California between LA and San Francisco and another line from LA to Las Vegas (Brightline West)… so we’re still playing catch-up.
Jim Cameron is founder of the Commuter Action Group and advocates for Connecticut rail riders. He writes this weekly column called “Talking Transportation” for CT Mirror and other publications.
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Turning Back the Pages
Oct 02, 2024
100 years ago — October 1924
The movement for town forests is gaining headway rapidly in Massachusetts. Twenty-three cities and towns in our neighboring state have already established such forests and eighty more towns have appointed committees to investigate the subject. In this work as in so many other lines, Connecticut is behind Massachusetts. However, one small town forest has been established in Newtown and several of our cities have lands surrounding their reservoirs which are virtually town forest.
William Hickey has entered the employ of L.L. Borden, taking the position left vacant by Gurdon Pickert, who has entered Yale University for the coming year.
The beautiful home of Judge and Mrs. Donald Ticknor Warner in Salisbury stands today a total wreck, the result of a disastrous fire which literally reduced the house to a blackened ruin last Sunday night. The fire apparently started in the rear annex and was first noticed by Theodore Garnes who was going by in an auto about ten o’clock in the evening. He at once gave the alarm and a few seconds later the fire was also discovered by others and they also sent in alarms by telephone. Philip Warner was the only one at home at the time, and had fallen asleep while reading. He was awakened by the smoke and found himself unable to reach any of the stairways. He finally got out the window over the porch and let himself down to the ground via one of the posts. It was an exceedingly narrow escape. A considerable amount of furniture on the lower floor was carried out in time to save it, and the family silver which was greatly prized and impossible to replace, was also saved although some of it had melted from the heat. Hundreds of books in the extensive library are totally ruined as well as many other heirlooms. Hundreds of people had assembled, some from a considerable distance. No one has any idea as how the fire started as there had been no fires in the house owing to the mild weather, and when the caretaker visited the place at about five o’clock in the afternoon there was no sign of fire or smell of smoke.
A car driven by Mrs. I.S. Kelsey of Taconic was in collision with a horse and buggy belonging to George Ashman in front of Champagne’s drug store on Monday evening. Mrs. Ashman was thrown out and somewhat bruised. The horse freed itself from the wagon and ran as far as the Willard place, where it stopped of its own accord. The horse was somewhat injured.
Hilen Eggleston of Lime Rock was in Sharon Hospital this week, where he had his tonsils removed.
Mrs. Knight has sold to J. Cox Howell a piece of land at the southerly end of the old Institution grounds about 135 feet wide, from the road to the lake. Mr. Howell intends to build a house there next year, using pressed steel lumber throughout instead of wood. The house is to be occupied by Mrs. Egbert, Mrs. Howell’s mother.
The daylight saving nuisance ended last Sunday and now we can all figure what time it is without stopping to think it over.
Clifford Cullen is now harvesting his tobacco and reports a very good crop, which escaped both drought and frost.
One of the hardest rain storms of the year struck town on Tuesday and some interference with the electric light wires resulted, owing to fallen branches of trees. It acted very much like a misplaced equinoctial storm.
Landlord W.B. Lawrence is installing a new vacuum heating system at the Gateway, which he plans to keep open the coming winter.
The Club radio will be in operation during the World Series. Everyone is welcome to come in and enjoy the ball games.
50 years ago — October 1974
Gustavus Pope of Salisbury has given 170 acres of mountain land including the crown of Barack Matiff to the land trust of the Salisbury Association, Association President A. Mitchell Finlay announced this week. Association trustees Monday night voted to accept the gift with gratitude, subject to confirmation that it fully meets the land trust criteria. The tract in question is heavily wooded and runs from the town park and grove atop Barack Matiff on the north to slopes overlooking the Salisbury - Lime Rock Road and Salmon Kill Valley on the south. It borders the old House of Herbs as well as the Salisbury ski jump area, and the Appalachian Trail runs through a considerable part of it. The origin of the name “Barack Matiff” to describe the mountain that rises sharply on the south side of U.S. Route 44 east of Salisbury Village on which the property is situated, is a matter of some controversy. Probably the most commonly accepted version is that it is a corruption of the Dutch “bergh” for peak or mountain, and that means big or massive mountain.
Where in the world is Babes Hill Road? Salisbury Selectmen threw firms seeking to bid on town tree contracts into something of a loop by using this designation on a description. No one could find it. It develops that Babes Hill Road is the old name for Toms Mountain Road, which runs north and south briefly between Twin Lakes Road and Cooper Hill Road near the Connecticut- Massachusetts state line. Mr. Kiefer said it is designated this way on Geological Survey maps.
25 years ago — October 1999
Over 1,000 invitations have been sent out for a birthday party in honor of Louise Reinhardt Francis, who will turn 100 Oct. 21. Anyone in the area who would like to celebrate with Mrs. Francis is welcome. The party will be in the Cobble Party Room at Noble Horizons from 2 to 4 p.m.
Wagner McNeil Insurance agency in Lakeville celebrated its 125th anniversary with an open house for the community Saturday morning. The firm has grown, now boasting four offices in Sharon, Torrington and New Milford, as well as Lakeville.
Within the next week or two the scaffolding that has embraced Beckley Furnace for the past year will come down and the newly preserved historic structure will stand prouder than ever. One of three blast furnaces built along the Blackberry River on Lower Road in East Canaan, the Beckley Furnace operated from 1847 to 1942, when the closed site was purchased by the state Department of Environmental Protection. It is the best preserved of the furnaces in the area.
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Robert Marquand Reynolds
Oct 02, 2024
LAKEVILLE — Robert Marquand Reynolds, of Lakeville, died on Sept. 23, 2024, after living with cancer for 14 years.
He was born June 20, 1954 to Robert T. Reynolds and Lynda Gay (Mitchell) Reynolds, and was raised in West Hartford. Marq graduated from Watkinson School and The University of Hartford.
Music was an important part of Marq’s life from childhood. He taught himself to play guitar and drums at a young age. He said that his world would have been a much different place without music.
He had also been a skier, tennis and soccer player and enjoyed hockey, football and cars. He started trying to “drive” anything he could when he was 2 years old. His love of cars and driving never diminished.
He operated a photography business and was later employed in areas including legal research and recently was an advertising director in the Berkshires and Litchfield County.
Marq was predeceased by his father, mother and sister Sue.
He leaves his wife of 12 years, Barbara Chatfield Reynolds, two step children, his sister Debby Mason, his brother Tom, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Also his beloved dog, Wink.
He would like to thank all who proved to be an important part of his life in friendship beginning in school. Some of those friendships were lifelong.
All services are private.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
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