Sprucing up Falls Village’s caboose

Bill Beebe and Denny Jacobs work atop the caboose.
        Patrick L. Sullivan
    

Bill Beebe and Denny Jacobs work atop the caboose.
FALLS VILLAGE — Bill Beebe and Denny Jacobs spent part of Sunday, May 19, atop the old caboose in downtown Falls Village, painting.
Both men plus Judy Jacobs did the lion’s share of the work of obtaining, installing and restoring the 1944 caboose 30 years ago.
“We laid the tracks,” said Beebe. “We pounded the spikes. By hand.”
“We were young guys then. Be a little tougher to do it now.
“We have one more ingredient now,” added Jacobs. “Advil.”
The job took a couple of years.
“At one point we had it stripped down to almost the wheels” Jacobs said. “I thought we’d better put it back together before we forget how.”
Jacobs and Beebe were assisted by students from the Housatonic FFA chapter, who did prep work on the caboose last year.
TORRINGTON — Joan Jardine, 90, of Mill Lane, passed away at home on Oct. 23, 2025. She was the loving wife of David Jardine.
Joan was born Aug. 9, 1935, in Throop, Pennsylvania, daughter of the late Joseph and Vera (Ezepchick) Zigmont.
Joan graduated from Harding High School.
She was a working artist for much of her adult life, starting her career studying plein air impressionist oil painting at the Cape Cod School of Art. Her work evolved to include a more representational style, and eventually a large body of abstract pieces. Her award-winning work has been shown in galleries and juried art shows throughout southern New England.
She is survived by her daughter Leslie and her husband George, brothers Joseph, Victor, and their families, nephews Gregory, Christopher, and their families, daughter-in- law Huong, and the extended Jardine family. She was predeceased by her son Douglas, and brother Michael.
A memorial service will be held at All Saints of America Orthodox Church, 313 Twin Lakes Road, Salisbury, Connecticut on Thursday, Oct. 30, at 10 a.m. Memorial contributions may be made to the All Saints of America Orthodox Church, PO Box 45, Salisbury, CT 06068.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
Canyon de Chelly (1904) – Seven Navajo riders on horseback
At a time when questions of representation, cultural legacy and historical narratives are at the forefront of public conversation, the Norfolk Library’s upcoming screening of the award-winning documentary “Coming to Light” offers a timely opportunity for reflection.
The event will be held on Thursday, Nov. 6, at 5:30 p.m., and will include a post-screening discussion with the film’s director, Lakeville resident Anne Makepeace.
“Coming to Light” offers a deeply researched, visually rich portrait of photographer Edward S. Curtis, whose early 20th century mission to record Native American life resulted in tens of thousands of images, sound recordings and texts.
But the film goes beyond biography, critically examining Curtis’ romanticized vision of Native American life and engaging with the descendants and communities whose lives and traditions the photo archives continue to affect.
Between 1896 and 1914, Curtis photographed over 80 tribes from Arizona to Alaska in an effort to capture Native American cultures he feared were disappearing..
“Curtis saw cultural genocide going on, and he feared these cultures would disappear,” Makepeace said. “He wanted to show these people are still here and these traditions are still happening.”
 
In the late 1990s, when Makepeace was developing her film on Curtis — about a century after he had started his photographic work — she wanted to see how present-day Native Americans felt about his photographs. She found that while academics had long derided Curtis’ work as extractive, colonialist, and often staged, most Native Americans she spoke with were overwhelmingly appreciative of his work. In fact, some of Curtis’ photographs ultimately helped certain tribes revive specific ceremonies.
“Coming to Light” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, was shortlisted for an Academy Award in 2000, and was later aired on PBS’ “American Masters” in 2001. As the documentary nears its 25th anniversary, Makepeace reflected on the significance of the film and its lasting impact.
“The film shows the beauty and resilience of these cultures and the diversity of each of the varied tribes that were documented,” she said.
At a time when cultural preservation, national identity and documentary ethics are more important than ever, Makepeace said she believes the film’s message remains especially relevant in 2025.
For further details on the screening and to reserve a seat, visit: norfolklibrary.org/events/documentary-film-coming-to-light/
To see more of Makepeace’s work, visit: makepeaceproductions.com/index.html
Victoria Morse, director of Gallery of Dreams
Victoria Morse, director of Gallery of Dreams, welcomes those interested in local arts — and artists who create it — to 156 Gay St. in Sharon.Look for a sign at the side of the road and art on the front porch.
In the light-filled parlor room of the gallery, complete with a comfortable couch, Morse warmly greeted visitors and invited them to browse the art in the two intimate exhibit spaces. Morse’s posture revealed her life as a dancer
Morse’s husband, artist Bruce Morse, founded the gallery that he and Victoria ran together for many years. When he died in 2021, Victoria temporarily closed the gallery.
In the summer of 2024, she was ready to reopen. “Last year, I did tag sales and invited friends to join. Then we said, ‘Let’s have a pop-up shop.’”She liked it so much that she decided to reopen the gallery with an inaugural show on Aug. 29, 2025.
With partners and artists Katherine Grealish, Jane Capellaro and Harper Blanchet, who painted walls and worked out new lighting, she readied the gallery rooms.
The inaugural show features sculpture, collage, pottery, painting and jewelry, all from local artists. On display are work by her partners, as well as pieces by Cassandra, Karen and Scott Culbreth, Victoria and her late husband Bruce, Kara O’Neill, Tina Riley, and Diane and Joel Schapira.
Morse described the immediate rewards. “As I was putting together this show, it struck me how much joy and love artists put into their art and how much dedication they have.”
Morse sees putting up shows as “creating a story.I lay it out and see how things fit together.”
The next show will open Oct. 31 and will be a mix of work from new artists and new work from the artists of the inaugural show.
Morse said she is happy to look at portfolios. “I am looking for artists, crafts people, jewelry makers and unusual things.” She invites artists who might want to exhibit, or anyone with questions, to call her at 860-671-4651. A website is coming soon.
Gallery of Dreams is open Friday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.