Turning Back the Pages - July 30, 2026

125 years ago — July 1901

NOTICE Bicycle riders, you must keep off the sidewalks of this town, and also have a light on your wheel at night while riding. James Stuart, Edward Barton and Albert H. Shepard, Selectmen.

The Holley M’f’g’ Co. announces that persons or parties who wish to go through its factory will be welcome on Wednesday of each week between the hours of 10 and 12. This announcement is made because of the many applications of visitors in Lakeville, who are desirous of seeing the process of knife making.

SHARON — Maggie Prediger, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Prediger, fell from a tree last week and fractured one of her arms in two places.

We have received this week from Sailor McCormack who is on the Mayflower, at Porto Rico, a copy of the San Juan News. This bit of journalism is interesting inasmuch as half of it is in English and the other half in Spanish. The sheet is well up to date and contains some good half tone illustrations.

100 years ago — July 1926

Walter J. Kamyk of Indian Orchard, Mass., was arrested by State Policeman Meade in North Canaan on July 24th on charges of transporting liquor without a permit, and transporting with intent to sell. Kamyk operating a Reo Speed Wagon was captured with a load of 429 gals. of alcohol. Presented before Justice Moore later in the day and pleaded guilty. Fined a total of $400 and costs.

LIME ROCK — Ensign Fenton and family of Pittsfield spent the week end with his mother and sisters here.

A daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Peter J. Flynn at Sharon Hospital on Tuesday, July 27th.

50 years ago — July 1976

John Campbell has 52 Canada geese. Last year he had 16 and the year before, only four. Why do they like John Campbell’s front yard along Rudd Pond north of Millerton? He doesn’t know. He speculates that his feathered families might have taken up residence on his side of the lake after being forcibly chased from the swimming area on the opposite shore. Motorists now feed some of the geese, who stroll unconcernedly across the road to greener grasses on the hillside, leaving an obvious trail behind them. About dusk, the gaggle waddles closer to Mr. Campbell’s house in search of a bedtime snack. He shoos them back across the road, hoping that out-of-sight, out-of-mind will give him some respite. So far no goose has become a statistic — but, “just you wait until this fall,” muses John. “I did make the mistake of feeding four geese two years ago,” he said. “If this population explosion continues — four — 16 — 52 — ???” his voice trailed off as he covered his eyes in not-such-mock horror.

There is no doubt in Adela Eads’ mind: she would quit her position on the State Board of Education were she elected to the General Assembly this fall “because it would have to be.” Mrs. Eads said Monday that filling both an Assembly seat from the 64th District and a state Board of Education chair would be a “conflict of interest, plus the work.”

The Zabriskie family is as unusual and interesting as the house the members have built off Under Mountain Road in Salisbury. George and Sherry, filmmakers, have constructed a house that incorporates 2,000 glass bottles as building materials. They are pleased with the results. The unique structure was intended for use in a series of children’s specials the Zabriskies were filming.

Meg Alexander, editor of The News in Millerton for the past three years, has accepted a new job as a reporter on The Charlotte News, an afternoon daily newspaper in the largest city in North Carolina. In Charlotte she will be writing on local aspects of national affairs.

Twenty-five youngsters escaped serious injury Monday when the hay wagon they were riding overturned. New York State Police reported that at approximately 9:45 p.m. on Monday a hay wagon driven by Timothy Coon of Smithfield overturned as Coon attempted to make a left-hand turn from Morse Hill Road onto Perrotti Road in North East. Four of the 25 kids on the wagon were taken by Millerton ambulance to Sharon Hospital where they were treated for minor scrapes and bruises and sent home.

The remodeled facade of Decker’s Laundry and Cleaners in Lakeville is in keeping with the residential New England setting it occupies on Perry Street. Owners Harold Warner and Tom Romano said that in revamping the building they tried to make the commercial building “fit in better” with nearby homes by using a cedar shingle overhang and vetoing use of plate glass.

CANAAN — James Campbell, formerly of Worcester, Mass., has replaced George Dassenko as administrator at Geer Memorial Extended Care facility in Canaan. Campbell, a veteran of 15 years in the health care field, has worked both with medical groups and nursing facilities.

CANAAN — Sixteen-year-old Billy Segalla of Canaan made his way into the record books last Wednesday when he became the youngest pilot in the world to do precision acrobatics on his solo flight. Segalla, son of stunt pilot Stanley J. Segalla, performed a number of acrobatics in his father’s Decathlon airplane on the occasion of his 16th birthday. “There’s no question he is the youngest acrobatic pilot in the world,” said his father, “because you can’t fly until you are 16.”

The Canaan Little League took first prize for its float last week in the Canaan Firemen’s Parade. The float represented the U.S.S. Independence, a model of the Colonial warship. The firemen and Canaan Bicentennial Commission joined forces to stage the parade.

25 years ago — July 2001

Stymied in his attempt to obtain critical information from Sharon Hospital dealing with its proposed sale to Essent Healthcare of Nashville, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said he has no choice but to seek judicial enforcement of the requests. He stated that lack of compliance, whether inadvertent or not, can’t be justified by inadequate time or resources. He said hospital officials were informed well over a year ago what information had to be submitted.

CANAAN — The Blackberry River dam, built more than a century ago to provide power for the Beckley blast furnace, is slated for a safety study prior to repair work. The State Bond Commission last week approved $24,780 for the study on what has been dubbed by the state as the Industrial Monument Dam. The appropriation comes on the heels of the acquisition by the state of the former ironworks office building at the furnace site. The state purchased the property 45 years ago and it has been part of the Department of Environmental Protection’s parks system. The furnace, which last operated in 1918, is the state’s only designated industrial monument.

These items were taken from The Lakeville Journal archives at Salisbury’s Scoville Memorial Library, keeping the original wording intact as possible.