FALLS VILLAGE — Teams have already formed for the Housatonic Valley of Connecticut Relay for Life event, set for the weekend of June 4 and 5. But there’s still time for newcomers to sign up for the fourth annual relay, one of many that will be held across the nation to benefit the American Cancer Society.The Relay for Life turns the track and athletic field at Housatonic Valley Regional High School into a virtual tent city full of families who want to raise money for a good cause — and who are there to support a cancer patient, celebrate a cancer survivor or remember a loved one who was lost to the disease.Organizers Dan Wouri and Ashley Allyn said last week that fewer teams have signed up for the fourth annual Relay. The upward trend over the last three years had been amazing, however, and set a high level of expectation. Experience has also shown that many people will come out during the event to make donations and participate in some of the numerous ways available. “We have about 200 people signed up on teams,” Wouri said. “That’s pretty low for us. We have 32 teams, some with only one person. We were up to more than 40 teams [in previous years].” They particularly hope that area residents will sign up for the CSP-3 survey that the Northwest Corner Relay has been selected to participate in. The American Cancer Society chooses areas where the response to Relay for Life has been especially passionate. That kind of commitment is needed for the success of the survey, which spans multiple years. It is the third in a series that began in the 1950s.The survey questionnaires are sent out by mail and are simple, anonymous and few and far between. But they provide vital research information for the cancer society.Participation begins with a registration process on June 4 from 3 to 7 p.m. Participants need to be between the ages of 30 and 65, without a prior cancer diagnosis. Participants do not have to live in Connecticut. No appointment is needed.The goal is to register 160 participants; the Cancer Society is looking for a minimum of 128. So far, about 50 people have registered.It is not necessary to register ahead of June 4, but doing so will help ensure enough supplies are on hand.“Numbers are down for all the relays that have been held so far this year,” Wouri said. “We need to get people out there and show them what we’re made of.”Relay for Life is an all-nighter for many. Teams are supposed to keep members on the track at all times. It begins June 4 at 2 p.m. with lots of festive activities. Walking begins with special laps that recognize those battling cancer, survivors and caregivers. Themed laps will be held throughout the Relay.There is a dinner for cancer patients and their families. There will be a bounce house, face-painting and massages.The Steven Dunn Band will be among the live performers.Always the most moving portion is the lighting of the luminarias, purchased in honor or memory of cancer patients, which will encircle the track. At dark on Saturday, about 9 p.m., the luminarias are lit and walkers parade around the field with candles.There are lots of ways to connect and keep up with Relay information. To register for the CPS-3 survey, or for information on forming a team and other ways to help, contact dan0462@yahoo.com or 09ALALLY@alma.edu.There is also www.relayfor life.org/housatonicvalleyct and a Facebook page at Housatonic Valley Relay for Life.
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Connecticut heating oil prices climb 86% from a year ago
Christian Murray
Sep 30, 2026
Connecticut households that heat with oil are facing sharply higher costs as winter approaches.
The statewide average price was $5.91 a gallon on Sept. 21, compared with $3.18 during the same week last year, according to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. That is an increase of about 86%.
At those averages, a 200-gallon delivery would cost about $1,182, compared with $636 a year ago — roughly $548 more.
The amount a household pays depends on its supplier, delivery size and payment terms.
Prices advertised by Litchfield County suppliers over the weekend were somewhat lower than the state survey average.
HomeHeat, a service that tracks advertised cash-on-delivery prices, listed an average of $5.69 a gallon among 17 county suppliers on Sept. 27.
Its listed prices ranged from $5.30 to $6 a gallon
The rise in heating oil prices comes alongside a surge in diesel prices stemming from the conflict with Iran.
The two fuels are closely related and face many of the same pressures on supply and price.
Connecticut’s average diesel price reached a record high last week, according to AAA figures. The price was $6.49 a gallon.
Heating oil was high at the outbreak of the Ukraine war in 2022. DEEP recorded a statewide average of $6.37 a gallon in May 2022.
For low income residents, applications are now open for the 2026-27 Connecticut Energy Assistance Program, which helps eligible residents pay their home heating costs Details are at CT.gov.
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Police Blotter: Troop B
Lakeville Journal
Sep 30, 2026
Police Blotter: Troop B
John Coston
The following information was provided by the Connecticut State Police at Troop B. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Crash in Sharon
On Saturday, Sept. 19 at approximately 11 p.m. Mark Davis, 32, of Goshen, was traveling eastbound on Route 4 in Sharon in a 2024 Kia Forte when he lost control of the vehicle and drove off the left side of the road. The vehicle struck a rope guardrail and was later towed from the scene. Davis was found to be at fault and received a written warning.
Disorderly conduct arrest
Troopers were dispatched to a residence on Eno Hill Road in Colebrook at approximately 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 23 for the report of a suspicious 911 call hangup. During an on-site investigation it was determined that Timothy Lapp, 33, who resides at the Eno Hill Road address, was physically aggressive. Lapp was arrested on the scene on a charge of disorderly conduct and released on a $1,000 non-surety bond to appear in Torrington Superior Court.
Evading the scene
On Saturday, Sept. 26 at approximately noon, James Czaja, 73, of Goshen, was traveling westbound on the Sharon Turnpike Road (Rt. 4) in Goshen in a 2017 Ford C-Max hatchback. A second vehicle was traveling behind Czaja and collided into the rear of the C-Max, which pulled over and stopped. The second vehicle evaded the scene and was described as a gray pickup truck, possibly an older style Dodge Ram. No injuries were reported, and the Ford was driven from the scene. TrooperRandolph Howell requests that anyone who may have witnessed the crash to contact him at Troop B (860-626-1820).
The Lakeville Journal will publish the outcome of police charges. Send mail to P.O. Box 1688, Lakeville, CT 06039, Attn: Police Blotter, or send to editor@lakevillejournal.com
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North Canaan home sales rise; median price tops $350K
Christine Bates
Sep 30, 2026
This three unit income producing property built in 1877 at 121 Railroad Street sold on Aug. 24, 2026 for $335,000.
Christine Bates
NORTH CANAAN — The median sale price of a single-family home in North Canaan was $350,500 for the 12 months ending Aug. 31, up 25% from $279,900 a year earlier. The number of sales also rose from the previous 12-month period.
The median sale price was $235,000 for the 12 months ending August 2024 and has remained above $300,000 for the past year.
Twenty-seven single-family homes sold in the 12 months ending Aug. 31, compared with 20 in the previous 12-month period and 16 in the period ending August 2024. Annual sales peaked at 47 in the 12 months ending August 2021.
As of the end of September, eight single-family homes and one two-family home were listed for sale. The eight single-family listings represented roughly four months of inventory at the recent pace of sales. Two were priced below the $350,500 median, while five were listed above $500,000.
August Transfers
49 Reed St. - 3 bedroom/2 bath house on .32 acres transferred by Richard Knapp to Jovan Momcilov for $156,500
7 Locust Hill - 3 bedroom/1 bath on 4.62 acres transferred by Joseph Green to Taylor Allyn for $184,250
121 Railroad St. – 4 bedroom/3 bath/3 kitchen multifamily transferred by Michel Michels to Julia Ujvari for $335,000
14 Railroad St. – Restaurant currently Industry Kitchen transferred by Auro Properties LLC to SBPSG Reality LLC for $300,000
* Town of North Canaan real estate transfers recorded between August 1, 2026, and August 31, 2026, provided by North Canaan Town Clerk. Transfers without consideration are not included. Current market listings from Smart MLS and market data from Info Sparks. Note that recorded transfers frequently lag sales by a number of days. Compiled by Christine Bates, Real Estate Salesperson with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, Licensed in CT and NY.
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Rain and wind fail to deter Salisbury CROP Hunger walkers
Patrick L. Sullivan
Sep 30, 2026
Rev. Erik Karas of Christ Trinity Church in Sheffield addresses the participants before the CROP walk.
Patrick L. Sullivan
SALISBURY — More than 100 people turned out on a blustery, wet afternoon for the CROP Hunger Walk in Salisbury and Lakeville on Sunday, Sept. 27.
Organizer Patricia Palmer said she had been watching the weather forecast and decided Sunday morning to go ahead with the walk.
Participants came from Salisbury and nearby towns, with sizable contingents from Salisbury School, Indian Mountain School and The Hotchkiss School.
The event, now in its 43rd year, supports Church World Service’s international efforts to end hunger and poverty, as well as local food pantries. Individuals and teams register for the walk, and donors sponsor them.
Palmer said she wouldn’t have a final amount raised for a week or so, but added that last year’s walk raised $49,571.
The walk began at the Congregational Church, followed the Rail Trail to Patco in Lakeville, then returned along Main Street to Brook Street, where walkers rejoined the trail and headed back to the church.
Adam Smedberg of Church World Service gave an example of how donations are used.
In a rural part of Cambodia, he said, the rainy and dry seasons each last about six months. Children in one village must cross a river to get to school, which requires a boat during the rainy season.
After a boat capsized and sank one year, villagers were reluctant to send their children to school despite the boat being replaced.
Church World Service provided life jackets and training in how to use and store them so they would last for years.
Smedberg said that gave the villagers the confidence to send their children to school again.
Palmer noted that 25% of the money raised goes to local food banks.
The Rev. Erik Karas of Christ Trinity Church in Sheffield said the CROP Hunger Walk is part of an ongoing effort to end hunger worldwide.
“It’s easy to forget when everybody has enough,” he said. “We’d like it to be one and done and the world is fixed. But it doesn’t work that way.”
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Kent town officials get first look at Emery Park’s proposed master plan
Alec Linden
Sep 30, 2026
“The goal here is to get the pool open.”
—Timothy Cermola, Cardinal Vice President
KENT — Bringing public swimming back to Kent remains the top priority for planners of a major upgrade to Emery Park, which took a step forward last week with the completion of a highly anticipated master plan.
Meriden-based Cardinal Engineering presented preliminary designs to the Parks and Recreation Commission at a special meeting Sept. 22.
The town commissioned the plan in May to guide improvements to the hillside park and make it more accessible.
Cardinal’s Roy Seeley, who oversaw the master plan, said it quickly became clear that reopening the swimming pond, which has been out of use for six years, would also require broader improvements to the park’s infrastructure.
The engineers recommended addressing accessibility early to avoid problems and added expense later.
Landscape architect Phil Barlow outlined a design featuring a reconfigured parking lot with an adjacent picnic area, an upper level with a redesigned playground built mostly from wood, and a lower level with an oval walkway encircling a lawn and a pavilion with room for 50 people.
The plans also call for two new buildings: one to house a Parks and Recreation Department office and another for pond-related facilities, including restrooms.
Since the site is hilly, the work would require grading to keep walkways at a slope of less than 5% for accessibility.
“Everything would be accessible,” Barlow said.
Cardinal Vice President Timothy Cermola, who also attended the meeting, said the swimming pond remains the focus despite the broad scope of the proposed improvements.
“The goal here is to get the pool open,” he said.
“And to make sure everyone can use it,” added Parks and Recreation Commissioner Heidi Wilson.
Architect Michael Fortuna outlined his proposal for the swimming pond. A natural brook feeds a smaller pond just above the approximately 8,500-square-foot swimming area.
“The more naturalized a filter you have the better,” he said. Fortuna suggested converting approximately 2,500 square feet of the deepest part of the swimming pond into a “regeneration zone,” where native wetland plants would filter the water in place of mechanical filtration or chemical treatment. The swimming area would have a maximum depth of five feet.
“If you can have a couple thousand less feet of swim area, this is your better way forward because it gives you cleaner water,” he said. “Aesthetically it would be very nice too.”
Fortuna said keeping the swimming area a pond rather than turning it into a pool would give the town more flexibility in its design and use. “The goal here is to keep it naturalized … keep it a pond,” he said.
“The idea of losing the entire deep end is disheartening,” Wilson said, “but the concept of natural filtration is a good thing.”
Earlier in the summer, the engineers were concerned that the pond’s entire foundation would have to be replaced. A subsequent investigation found it was sound and would need only resurfacing of the concrete shell.
Still, the overall project carries a substantial price tag: Cardinal estimates it would cost approximately $4 million. Cermola said the work would be phased, with reopening the swimming pond the first priority.
The plans remain general, Cermola said.
The next step is to submit them for review by regulatory agencies, including the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission and the state Department of Public Health. Details will be refined as that process moves forward.
The park remains open while planning continues. Beyond the central area covered by the proposed improvements, Emery Park has fields, other recreational areas and a rugged trail system with views over the village and the Housatonic River Valley.
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Salisbury School tunnel under Route 44 nears completion
Patrick L. Sullivan
Sep 30, 2026
The tunnel under Route 44 at Salisbury School is nearing completion.
Patrick L. Sullivan
SALISBURY — Construction of a tunnel beneath Route 44 connecting Salisbury School’s north and south campuses is nearing completion.
Vafa Vahid, the private boys’ school’s chief financial officer and chief operating officer, said Monday, Sept. 28, that the tunnel will likely be ready for use by mid-November.
He did not have a date for the removal of the temporary lane barriers on Route 44.
Vahid said construction began in May but stopped in June while the school awaited state permits.
Dayton Construction Company of Watertown is the contractor.
Vahid declined to give a specific cost but confirmed that it is “a multi-million dollar project.”
The tunnel will allow students, faculty and staff to walk between the campuses without crossing busy Route 44.
The north campus includes faculty and staff housing and athletic facilities.
Currently, pedestrians use a crossing marked by signs and a cone, sometimes with a crossing guard present.
Vahid said the primary reason for building the tunnel “is the safety of the kids.”
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