Soaring to glory in Salisbury

Max Fey jumped 70.5 meters in the U16 championship, the longest of the day on Feb. 4.
Randy O’Rourke

Max Fey jumped 70.5 meters in the U16 championship, the longest of the day on Feb. 4.
SALISBURY — Jumpfest 2024 was filled with constant competition at Satre Hill.
The action began on Friday, Feb. 2 with target jumping under the lights. Cooper Dodds won $500 in prize money donated by the Churchill family. He landed on the paint for a 65-meter jump.
The fan-favorite Human Dogsled Race did not disappoint. Enthusiastic teams dashed across the snow with a custom carriage in tow.
Saturday morning started with U10 females jumping on the 20-meter hill, which was won by Maple Billings of Brattleboro, Vermont. The “six-and-a-half” year-old jumped 10-meters and her combined point total from two jumps earned her 83.9 points, followed by SWSA’s Oona Mascavage with 31.9 points, then SWSA’s Aerin Sheil at 29.9 points.
In the U10 male category Wyeth Taylor earned gold with a total of 118.9 points, followed by silver medalist Caleb Bodwell at 100.4 points and bronze medalist Henry Sheil at 46.8 points. All U10 male athletes represented SWSA at Jumpfest.
Leila Fey of New York Ski Educational Foundation (NYSEF) won the U12 female competition with a total of 144.5 points. Ford Sayre’s Ava Joyal took second with 102.8 points and Catherine Chor placed third with 122.9 points.
The U12 male group was won by Dylan Cote of Ford Sayre with 152.2 total points. Andover Outing Club’s Ethan Gong took second with 141.6 points and Lebanon Outing Club’s Elet McCusker placed third with 136.4 points.
Three female SWSA jumpers competed in the K20 Open. Victoria Bertapelle won with 119.3 points, follow by Alexandra Philipp with 87.9 points and Bridget Metcalf with 84.3 points.
Proctor Academy’s Burke Pekala earned gold in the K20 Open male group with 162.3 points and the longest jump of the day from this hill: 15.5 meters. Matthew Tourville of Andover Outing Club took silver at 141.9 points and Wesley Leonard of Ford Sayre got bronze with 133.3 points.
Action the moved over to the 30-meter hill. Andover Outing Club’s Hailey Garnsey was the lone competitor in the K30 Open female group. She jumped 19 meters and earned 91 total points.
Burke Pekala won the K30 Open male category with a long jump of 29.5 meters and 196.5 points. Spencer Jones of Harris Hill Nordic placed second at 179.5 points and Boyd Schaefer took third with 161.5 points.
Saturday’s action concluded with The Salisbury Invitational on the Big Hill, a 65-meter jump. The US Cup K65 female group got things started. Caroline Chor of Ford Sayre took gold with 85.9 points, followed by Andover’s Kerry Tole at 36.9 points and SWSA’s Islay Sheila at 32.9 points.
Jack Kroll of NYSEF took gold in the US Cup K65 male group with the longest jump of the weekend, a whopping 71 meters, and 241.4 total points. His teammates Henry Loher and Max Fey took second and third with 228.4 and 214.1 points respectively.
In the Senior and Masters K65, Evan Nichols jumped 70.5 meters, Cooper Dodds jumped 61 meters, and Seth Garden jumped 58 meters.
Sunday began with the 2024 Eastern U.S. Ski Jumping Championship to determine the eastern division of the Junior National Team.
In the Female K65 competition, Caroline Chor took gold with 83.6 points, followed by Kerry Tole 34.4 points and Islay Sheil with 21.1 points.
The U16 male title was won by Henry Loher with 237.3 points. Max Fey took second with 228.7 points and NYSEF’s Eli Larkin took third with 191.6 points.
Jack Kroll earned gold in the U20 male category with a 68-meter jump and 215.5 points. NYSEF’s Schuyler Klapp took silver with 191 points and Andover’s Mychal Reynolds took bronze with 116.1 points.
Jumpfest concluded with Evan Nichols and Seth Gardner competing in the Senior K65. Nichols won with a leap of 68 meters and Gardner maxed out at 46 meters.
CORNWALL — At the recommendation of the Cornwall Volunteer Fire Department, on Jan. 20 the Board of Selectmen voted to move forward with the purchase of two new trucks.
Greenwood Emergency Vehicles, located in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, was chosen as the manufacturer. Of the three bids received, Greenwood was the lowest bidder on the desired mini pumper and a rescue pumper.
CVFD’s Ian Ridgway sat on the truck committee and said Greenwood was not just chosen for the price, but also for the design of each vehicle. He said their models had a shorter wheelbase and more ground clearance, as well as extra storage space on board, compared to the next best bid.
After $100,000 in discounts offered by Greenwood, the combined purchase price for both vehicles was shown to be $1,200,408. The delivery time was estimated at 15 months.
CVFD raised $600,000 during its recent fundraising campaign, of which $500,000 will be given to the town to buy the trucks. That figure will be paired with $720,000 in town truck fund reserves. The additional donated funds will be used to outfit the trucks with equipment and tools.
“I want to praise the town of Cornwall,” said CVFD President Dick Sears. “We’re able to buy these beautiful new pieces of equipment courtesy of the tremendous citizenry of this town.”
FALLS VILLAGE — Robin Lee Roy, 62, of Zephyrhills, Florida, passed away Jan. 14, 2026.
She was a longtime CNA, serving others with compassion for more than 20 years before retiring from Heartland in Florida.
Robin loved the beach, sunshine, and gardening, and was known for her strength, humor, and unwavering support of those she loved.
She is survived by her daughter, Sierra R. Zinke, and brothers, Darren Roy and Todd Roy.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Sharon Thomkins Roy and Robert Roy, and her brother Nevin Roy.
No services will be held at this time.
SALISBURY — Marjorie A. Vreeland, 98, passed away peacefully at Noble Horizons, on Jan. 10, 2026.She was surrounded by her two loving children, Richard and Nancy.She was born in Bronxville, New York,on Aug. 9, 1927, to Alice (Meyer) and Joseph Casey, both of whom were deceased by the time she was 14. She attended public schools in the area and graduated from Eastchester High School in Tuckahoe and, in 1946 she graduated from The Wood School of Business in New York City.
At 19 years old, she married Everett W. Vreeland of White Plains, New York and for a few years they lived in Ithaca, New York, where Everett was studying to become a veterinarian at Cornell. After a short stint in Coos Bay, Oregon (Mike couldn’t stand the cloudy, rainy weather!) they moved back east to Middletown, Connecticut for three years where Dr. Vreeland worked for Dr. Pieper’s veterinary practice.In Aug. of 1955, Dr. and Mrs. Vreeland moved to North Kent, Connecticut with their children and started Dr. Vreeland’s Veterinary practice. In Sept. of 1968 Marjorie, or “Mike” as she wished to be called, took a “part-time job” at the South Kent School.She retired from South Kent 23 years later on Sept. 1, 1991.Aside from office help and bookkeeping she was secretary to the Headmaster and also taught Public Speaking and Typing.In other times she worked as an assistant to the Town Clerk in Kent, an office worker and receptionist at Ewald Instruments Corp. and as a volunteer at the Kent Library.
“Mike” loved the sun, sand and water and spent many summers at Westport Point, Massachusetts with the kids and their best friends, the Bauers.She was the consummate hostess, and a wonderful cook.She also appeared in several plays with The Sherman Players and also a show or two on special occasions at The Kent Community House.She took enjoyment from working outdoors doing chores around her home in North Kent.She lived in that house until she sold it and bought a condominium on North Main Street in Kent in May of 2003.She lived in the condo until 2018 after which her light began to fade and her last 8 years were spent comfortably at Noble Horizons.
“Mike” leaves behind her children, Richard (Susan) of Lakeville, her daughter Nancy Rutledge (Jim) of Salisbury; two grandchildren, Chandra Gerrard (Sean) of Litchfield, Matthew (Larissa) of Lakeville; three great grandchildren, Addison, Emilia and Everett, all of Lakeville.
She was predeceased by her beloved granddaughter Caroline in 2020.
All services are private.The Ryan Funeral Home, 255 Main St., Lakeville, is in charge of arrangements.
To offer an online condolence, please visit ryanfhct.com
SALISBURY -— Rafael A. Porro, 88, of 4 Undermountain Road, passed away Jan. 6, 2026, at Sharon Hospital. Rafael was born on April 19, 1937 in Camaguey, Cuba the son of Jose Rafael Porro and Clemencia Molina de Porro. He graduated from the Englewood School for Boys in Englewood, New Jersey and attended Columbia University School of General Studies. Rafael retired as a law library clerk from the law firm of Curtis, Mallet Prevost in 2002 and came to live in Salisbury to be nearer to his sister, Chany Wells.
Rafael is survived by his sister, Chany Wells, his nephew Conrad Wells (Gillian), and by numerous cousins in North Carolina, Florida, Wyoming, Arizona, Cuba and Canada. He was the eldest of the cousins and acknowledged family historian. He will be greatly missed.
A memorial service will be held at St. John’s Episcopal Church in June. Memorial contributions may be made to Salisbury Volunteer Ambulance Service, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Salisbury and Scoville Memorial Library.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.