Valentine’s Day preview

Looking for the perfect way to celebrate love this Valentine’s Day? Whether it’s music, food, or just some good old-fashioned romance, there’s something for everyone—because let’s be honest, we could all use a little more love!
Wednesday, Feb. 12
28th Annual Chocolate Fest. 3:30 p.m. at the Kent Center School Cafeteria (9 Judd Ave., Kent). Proceeds benefit the Kent Center School Scholarship Fund. Fill a plate for $5 with delicious chocolate creations. Email for more info: info@kcssf.org.
Thursday, Feb. 13 & Saturday, Feb. 15
Fleece Pillow Making Workshop at David M. Hunt Library (63 Main St., Falls Village) The DM Hunt Library is making heart pillows to give to seniors for ‘Random Acts of Kindness’ Week! Workshops will be held Thursday, Feb. 13 from 5 to 7 p.m. or Saturday, Feb. 15 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Learn to make knot-tie, no-sew pillows for local seniors. Use donated fabric and patterns or bring your own.
Thursday, Feb. 13
Senior Sweetheart Supper at Sharon Hospital (50 Hospital Hill Rd., Sharon) 3:45-5:0 p.m.– buffet dinner. 5 to 5:30 p.m. – Guest speaker Sheri Harrison, MD. Dr. Harrison is a general cardiologist, board-certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular disease by the American Board of Internal Medicine. For reservations: contact Rebecca Moreira at Rebecca.Moreira@nuvancehealth.org or call (860)364-4237
Friday, Feb. 14
Friendship Bracelets at NorthEast-Millerton Library (75 Main St., Millerton) 3 to 4 p.m. It isn’t too late to make a last-minute Valentine present for a friend! Make bracelets with beads and/or embroidery thread. No experience necessary. All are welcome.
Friday, Feb. 14
Valentine’s Day Screening of Classic Romantic Film, “Roman Holiday” at The Triplex Cinema (70 Railroad St., Great Barrington)at 5 p.m. Starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, this beloved romantic comedy won three Academy Awards and was shot on location in Rome. Directed by William Wyler, the film is a timeless classic. Tickets at thetriplex.org.
Friday, Feb. 14
A Steamship Feast at Stissing House (7801 S. Main St., Pine Plains)Arrive between 6:30-7 pm; dinner starts at 7. No vegetarian, vegan, or pescatarian options. Note allergies in your reservation or email feasts@stissinghouse.com. Enjoy snacks and drinks in the upstairs bar, followed by a long-table feast in The Barn with cocktails, punch, wine, and dessert.
Tickets are for two; email feasts@stissinghouse.com for group seating requests.
Friday, Feb. 14
Valentine’s Day Dinner Party at Ward’s Nursery (600 Main St., Great Barrington) After Hours, a new aged, community-centric outfit is hosting a Valentine’s Dinner at Ward’s Nursery. There will be a cozy, 7-course vegetable-forward feast served family-style in the greenhouse. Enjoy a cocktail hour, live music by Glori Wilder, and a vibrant winter escape! Reservations: www.afterhoursgb.com
Friday, Feb. 14
Valentine’s Day Dinner & Dance at Coe Park Civic Center (101 Litchfield St., Torrington) 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.Located at the Coe Park Civic Center, the Recreation Department is hosting a fun night of music and food for couples or friends. A buffet style dinner from Jimmy’s Store with desserts will be included in the price. Sequel, a fun jam band , will be playing music from all decades to get you in the right mood to sway your hips, clap your hands, and sing along. Reservations: (860)489-2274
Friday, Feb. 14
Jungle Love Dance Party at Stissing Center (2950 Church St., Pine Plains) at 7 p.m. Voted Best Band & Best Party Band in the Hudson Valley, Jungle Love is more than a band—it’s an experience. Fronted by award-winning singer Cher, this powerhouse group features musicians who’ve played with legends like The Isley Brothers, Aretha Franklin, and Ben E. King. Get ready for a high-energy journey through the best of Classic Soul, R&B, Motown, Disco, and Funk. This event is FREE.
Saturday Feb. 15
Love Letters at Sharon Playhouse (49 Amenia Rd., Sharon) at 7 p.m. Sharon Playhouse presents a special benefit reading of Love Letters by A.R. Gurney, starring Gretchen Mol (Boardwalk Empire) and Campbell Scott (House of Cards), directed by Artistic Director Carl Andress. Experience this intimate, one-night-only event exploring love and connection. Proceeds support the Playhouse’s arts and education programs. Tickets: sharonplayhouse.org/love-letters
Saturday, Feb. 15
A Midwinter’s Night in the Village at David M. Hunt Library (63 Main St., Falls Village) from 6 to 8 p.m. Enjoy an evening of homemade breads, chocolate treats, poetry, and songs celebrating love. Live music by Galactic Overtones, plus wine, beer, and non-alcoholic drinks included. huntlibrary.org/midwinter | 860-824-7424
- In a world that could always use more love, here’s your chance to spread it—whether through music, food, laughter, or sweet treats. Enjoy!
The roof of the Grove was damaged by the tree, the event tent was punctured, a chef was injured and the Jubilee Luncheon was canceled Sunday, Oct. 12.
LAKEVILLE — The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News Jubilee Luncheon fundraiser at the Grove Sunday, Oct. 12 was canceled after a very large section of a tree fell on the caterer’s tent at about 10 a.m.
Most of the catering staff heard the tree breaking up and got out of the tent in time, but the chef was hit by the falling limbs and sustained non-critical injuries.
A portion of the Grove’s roof sustained damage and branches came through the tent.
The Lakeville Hose Company responded to the scene. The chef was transported to Sharon Hospital by the Salisbury Volunteer Ambulance Service.
“While we’re deeply disappointed to cancel our annual fundraising event, our first concern is for our caterer’s chef, who was injured in the incident and is now recovering at home,” said James Clark, Publisher. “We’re grateful there were no more serious injuries, and we deeply appreciate the understanding and support of our honoree, underwriters, and guests.”
The incident occurred during preparation for the event, which would have centered around the presentation of the Estabrook Community Leadership Award to Bunny Williams.
Food that The Marketplace had prepared for the event was donated to People’s Pantry in Great Barrington.
Emergency responders block Amenia Union Road in Sharon Saturday, Oct. 11, while responding to the vehicle crash.
Updated Oct. 13, 9:25 a.m.:
SHARON — Shea Cassidy-Teti, 17, of Salisbury, died Saturday, Oct. 11, in a tragic car crash on Amenia Union Road in Sharon.
Connecticut State Police reported Charles Teti, 62, was driving his Jeep Grand Cherokee northbound on Amenia Union Road when, for an unknown reason, the vehicle crossed the southbound lane and exited the roadway where it struck a tree and home. Airbags deployed.
Teti and front seat passenger Aidan Cassidy, 63, sustained serious injuries. Teti was airlifted to Hartford Hospital and Cassidy was transported by ambulance to Sharon Hospital for treatment.
Shea Cassidy-Teti was in the back seat and sustained fatal injuries. He was pronounced dead on scene.
Cassidy-Teti was a senior at Kent School. He played on the football and tennis teams.
The residence that was struck is located at 35 Amenia Union Road.
The case remains under open investigation. Witnesses are asked to contact Trooper Lukas Gryniuk at Troop B 860-626-1821.
The residence at 35 Amenia Union Road sustained damage to the front of the structure, which can be seen from the street through the trees. Oct. 13.Photo by Ruth Epstein
LAKEVILLE — Rhys V. Bowen, 65, of Foxboro, Massachusetts, died unexpectedly in his sleep on Sept. 15, 2025. Rhys was born in Sharon, Connecticut, on April 9, 1960 to Anne H. Bowen and the late John G. Bowen. His brother, David, died in 1979.
Rhys grew up at The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, where his father taught English. Attending Hotchkiss, Rhys excelled in academics and played soccer, basketball, and baseball. During these years, he also learned the challenges and joys of running, and continued to run at least 50 miles a week, until the day he died.
In 1982 after graduating summa cum laude from Harvard College, Rhys returned to Hotchkiss to teach biology, where he met his wife of 35 years, Rebecca (Becky) Snow. After two years of teaching, he worked at a research field site in Borneo, then went on to the University of California, Davis where he earned a PhD in Animal Behavior in 1995.
Rather than follow an academic tenure track, Rhys preferred the solitary focus of field ornithology, and he spent several decades researching the ecology of bird species in California and on Cape Cod and the Islands. Rhys believed passionately in supporting biodiversity through habitat preservation. His proudest achievements, therefore, came through his work for the Lakes Region Conservation Trust, in New Hampshire, where he served on committees and the Board of Trustees for twenty years, including three years as Chair.
Deeply intellectual and curious, Rhys learned Homeric Greek so he could read The Odyssey and The Iliad in their original language. An amateur Melville scholar, he would wax poetic about reading Moby-Dick for the umpteenth time.Rhys’s spirit was filled by the performing arts. Concerts by the Handel and Haydn Society and Boston Early Music Festival often brought tears to his eyes, while Boston Bluegrass Union shows delivered toe-tapping fidgetiness.
Rhys will be missed by his wife, Becky Snow, his mother, Anne Bowen, extended family, friends, and anyone who had the pleasure of knowing him.
A service will be held at The Hotchkiss School chapel on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 at 1 p.m..
In honor of Rhys’s memory, donations can be made to the Lakes Region Conservation Trust.
LAKEVILLE — Kelsey K. Horton, 43, a lifelong area resident, died peacefully on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, at Norwalk Hospital in Norwalk, Connecticut, following a courageous battle with cancer. Kelsey worked as a certified nursing assistant and administrative assistant at Noble Horizons in Salisbury, from 1999 until 2024, where she was a very respected and loved member of their nursing and administrative staff.
Born Oct. 4, 1981, in Sharon, she was the daughter of W. Craig Kellogg of Southern Pines, North Carolina, and JoAnne (Lukens) Tuncy and her husband Donald of Millerton, New York. Kelsey graduated with the class of 1999 from Webutuck High School in Amenia and from BOCES in 1999 with a certificate from the CNA program as well. She was a longtime member of the Lakeville United Methodist Church in Lakeville. On Oct. 11, 2003, in Poughkeepsie, New York, she married James Horton. Jimmy survives at home in Lakeville. Kelsey loved camping every summer at Waubeeka Family Campground in Copake, and she volunteered as a cheer coach for A.R.C. Cheerleading for many years. Kelsey also enjoyed hiking and gardening in her spare time and spending time with her loving family and many dear friends.
In addition to her husband and parents, Kelsey is survived by her two beloved children, Hunter Horton and Aryanna Horton, both of Lakeville; a step-brother, Jason Tuncy of East Hartford, Connecticut; her mother-in-law, Frances “Fran” Horton and her brother-in-law, Benjamin D. Horton III and his wife Penny of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, and their son, Alec, and several aunts, uncles, cousins and many dear friends. She was predeceased by her father-in-law, Benjamin D. Horton, Jr. in 2017.
There are no calling hours. A Celebration of Life will take place on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Millerton American Legion Post # 178, Route 44, Millerton, NY 12546. A time to celebrate Kelsey and share stories and memories. Memorial contributions may be made to The Jane Lloyd Fund. Please make checks payable to Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation (please note in memo line, The Jane Lloyd Fund) and mail to: Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, 800 N. Main Street, Sheffield, MA 01257.
To send an online condolence to the family, flowers to the service or to plant a tree in Kelsey’s memory, please visit www.conklinfuneralhome.com
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Scott D. Conklin Funeral Home, 37 Park Avenue, Millerton, NY 12546.