Warm Up the Winter campaign concert at The Guthrie Center
Singer and board member Wanda Houston is one of the performers in the lineup for the benefit.
Lee Everett
Latest News
Ali DeProdocini assists a child making a bracelet.
Patrick L. Sullivan
SALISBURY — A group of about 15 adults and children got together after hours at the Scoville Memorial Library Wednesday, Feb. 11, to make Valentine’s Day cards and bracelets. The artistic activities were presided over by Ali DeProdocini.
Theodore Blevins-Fleishman, age 5, was working on a bracelet, assisted by DeProdocini with his father, Jeff Blevins, offering encouragement. It took a while, but eventually the bracelet was finished.
Amid the general hubbub, Jeff Blevins temporarily misplaced his son.
“Where did he go?”
Young Theodore had made a dash for the refreshment table.
It was a cheerful scene on a chilly night.
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North Canaan home prices up 16%
Feb 18, 2026
Situated on a hill overlooking the Housatonic River, 21 Park Avenue sold for $425,000 in late 2025.
Christine Bates
NORTH CANAAN — North Canaan’s housing market posted strong gains in 2025, with both home prices and sales activity rising sharply over the previous year.
The median price of a single-family home increased 16% to $340,000, up from $292,250 in 2024.
Sales volume also saw a significant jump last year. A total of 29 homes sold in 2025 — nearly triple the 10 transactions recorded the year before — marking one of the biggest increases in activity among Northwest Corner towns.
Despite the rise in prices, North Canaan remains the most affordable housing market in the region. The town’s $340,000 median is less than half that of neighboring Salisbury, where the 2025 median reached $825,000. It is also well below Sharon ($702,500), Cornwall ($750,000), Falls Village ($657,500) and Kent ($577,000).
Transactions
76 Prospect Street — 3 bedroom/1 bath house sold by the Estate of Nancy Brennerto Denise Bergenty for $310,000.
21 Park Avenue — 4 bedroom/2 bath home sold by Robert Hewins Jr. to Shane Helminiak for $425,000.
12 Barlow Street — 5 bedroom/1 bath home built in 1877 sold by Elaine Patton Executor to First Dream Property LLC for $200,000.
68 East Main Street — 3 bedroom/1.5 house and 2 bedroom/1 bath house sold by Ayn Nast Executor to Jessica Kain for $403,000.
116 Allyndale Road — 2 bedroom/1 bath home on 0.64 acres sold by Morick LLC to Patrick Kennedy for $175,000.
17 Clayton Road — 3 bedroom/2 bath home built in 2005 sold by Stephen Polluck to Brandon Wilfore for $426,600.
338 Salisbury Road — 3 bedroom/1 bath home built in 1940 sold by Matthew Cavanaugh to Caitlin Alexson for $280,000.
46 Old Turnpike North — 3bedroom/2 bath log home on 7 acres sold by Sandra Gessford to Timothy Deming for $450,500.
25 Granite Avenue — 4 bedroom/1.5 bath home sold by Gary Rovelto to Greg Karcheski for $200,000.
123 Lower Road — 3 bedroom/3 bath home sold by SoundviewModern Investments LLC to Jacob Tarsia for $385,000.
* Town of North Canaan real estate transfers recorded as sold between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, 2025, provided by North Canaan Town Clerk. Transfers without consideration are not included. 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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Police Blotter: Troop B
Feb 18, 2026
Police Blotter: Troop B
Police Blotter: Troop B
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.
Too fast for conditions
Stephania Cruz-Martinez, 34, of Waterbury, was westbound on Lime Rock Road at approximately 6 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7 in a 2024 International tractor-trailer when the truck lost traction on a downhill right curve. The truck exited the roadway and struck a utility pole, partially clipping its base. Cruz-Martinez was issued a written warning for traveling too fast for conditions. The truck was driven from the scene.
Criminal mischief charge
Brian Allyn Jr., 44, of East Canaan, was arrested and charged with criminal mischief, 2nd degree, and disorderly conduct on Monday, Feb. 9 after troopers responded to 35 Moses Mead Road in North Canaan late on Sunday, Feb. 8, for the report of a non-active disturbance. Allyn was transported to Troop B and was released on a $1,000 non-surety bond, with a court appearance set for Torrington Superior Court.
Subaru flip over
Unpredictable snow drifts were cited in a one-vehicle accident northbound on Route 63 in the town of Canaan on Monday, Feb. 9 at approximately 3:40 a.m. James Gulyas, 41 of Falls Village, was driving his 2018 Subaru Crosstrek when he encountered snow drifts that had crossed the road. The vehicle left the road, hit a wall and flipped over an unknown number of times, coming to rest rightside up. Gulyas was issued a warning for failure to drive right. The Subaru was towed by Arnold’s Garage.
BMW and Mercedes in passing accident
On Thursday, Feb. 12 at approximately 11:15 a.m. a BMW X5 and a Mercedes GLE were traveling westbound on Route 4 in Sharon behind a box truck. The BMW, driven by Erik Lambro, 52, of Bethlehem, CT, began to pass the Mercedes, driven by George Flynn, 76, of Kent. Troopers state that as Lambro was passing Flynn, Flynn’s Mercedes struck the passenger side of the BMW. The BMW continued to pass the Mercedes and the box truck ahead, then pulled over to stop and signaled for the Mercedes to stop. The Mercedes didn’t stop and left the scene, and was later located with visible damage. Flynn was issued an infraction for failure to maintain lane.
Domestic violence arrests
Troop B was notified of a domestic violence incident on Saturday, Feb. 14 in North Canaan. An investigation led to the arrest of Javier Otero, 29, of North Canaan. Otero was arrested at the scene and charged with Risk of Injury to a Child, Disorderly Conduct, Assault 3rd degree, and Threatening. A court date was set for Torrington Superior Court.
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 an email editor@lakevillejournal.com
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File photo
FALLS VILLAGE — The heavy winter has taken a toll on Falls Village’s snow clearing budget.
At the regular monthly selectmen’s meeting Monday, Feb. 9, First Selectman Dave Barger said the town has used about 86% of its budget for materials and overtime, and that doesn’t include the numbers from the most recent and biggest storm of the season.
In other business, Barger reported that after two years, Town Hall is finally going to be connected to the Connecticut Education Network (CEN) fiber optic internet service.
The board also discussed upcoming infrastructure work.
There will be a meeting in March with representatives from Cardinal Engineering and the state Department of Transportation on the plans for replacing the bridge and culvert on Cobble Road.
The selectmen also made an appointment, naming Mark Gonzonsky to the Housatonic River Commission to replace Dick Heinz. Gonzonsky was an alternate member, and Colter Rule will take over that role.
Finally, the selectmen thanked Lou Timolat for his service as the town’s representative to the Torrington Area Health District. Barger noted that what was supposed to be a temporary arrangement turned into 20 years of service.
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Salisbury Central School
File photo
SALISBURY — Below is the honor roll for Salisbury Central School’s first trimester of the 2025-26 academic year.
8th Grade
Highest Honors
Evelyn Adkins
Aria Belter
Ella Emberlin
Theodore Kneeland
Jillian Murphy
Allegra Najdek
Ethan Nellson
Owen Sayler
High Honors
Victoria Bellanca
Madeleine Carr
Mia Dunlavey
Hanna Eisermann
Evelyn Hall
Shane Higgins
Elizabeth Johnson
Brooke Kain
Rozelynd LaChance
Sarina Lemmy
William Nichols
Eden Ohmen
Miguel Santiago-Leyva
Brennan Sisk
Eliza Tarsia
Kaelyn Tompkins
Augustus Tripler
Honors
Leah Wilcox
7th Grade
Highest Honors
Annabelle Bunce
Timothy Cunningham
Jackson Farr
Luna Forero
Maris Jenter
Kellan Lockton
Natalie Merwin
Leah Simboli
High Honors
Sofia Casadei
Zeira Collins
Samuel Hahn
Sam Hamlin
John Hensley
Cole Lidstone
Jackson Magyar
Max Namer
Guinevere Robinson
August Schaufelberger
Norman Schmidt
Lucas Wang
Graeme Warder
Emilie Webster
Olive Webster
Honors
Jaycob Sherwood
6th Grade
Highest Honors
Camille Adams
Leif Brann
Marshall Cheney
Dylan Goodwin
Avina Jack
Nicole Lucas
Juniper Terni
High Honors
Blair Barbato
Isabella Bellanca
Emmett Charles
Faye Emberlin
Assane Fall
Westyn Golden
Samuel Goshen
Henry Kneeland
Max Lang
Maximilian Lins
Ava Lounsbury
Oliver Maier
Quinn McNiff
Thomas Nichols
Rowan O’Reilly
Willow Ohmen
Kevin Santiago-Leyva
Lewis Sayler
Colin Warder
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Most Region One students say they feel safe at school, have a trusted adult in their lives and are confident about their future. At the same time, significant numbers continue to report stress, anxiety and, in some cases, thoughts of self-harm, according to the 2025 Youth Voices Count Survey released Wednesday, Feb. 11.
The districtwide survey of students in grades 7 through 12 was conducted in May and June and gathered responses from 422 students — a 75.4% participation rate. The findings are used to guide prevention efforts and student support strategies.
Superintendent Melony Brady-Shanley said the results show both strong support systems and rising emotional strain among students.
“For the most part, our kids feel like they have a trusted adult in their life, whether it’s a school member, a family member…that they trust, that they can speak to,” Brady-Shanley said, noting that was a very positive finding.
However, “I think the one thing that stands out for me is, you know, the amount of anxiousness that our kids are feeling.”
Conducted by Weyland Smith Consulting, LLC, a Wethersfield-based firm specializing in youth behavioral health research, the survey measures student perceptions related to mental health, substance use, school climate, bullying, social media and other behavioral indicators.
Strong safety and support indicators
The survey found high levels of connection and safety among students.
More than 94.6% said they have at least one trusted adult they can turn to. Similarly, 94% reported feeling safe in their community, and 88.6% said they feel safe at school. More than 92.4% said they know how to get help if they need it. About 73.8% said their life is headed in a positive direction, and 79.7% reported confidence in their future.
“It is very positive, you know, I think anytime we can say that that percentage of kids have a positive outlook, and they, you know, have hope about where they’re going, that’s a great thing,” Brady-Shanley said.
Ian Strever, principal of Housatonic Valley Regional High School, said the survey remains an essential planning tool.
“This report and its predecessor, the Developmental Assets Survey, have always been incredibly useful tools for assessing not only our students’ risk-taking and social behaviors, but also how we support them through school programs and the larger community of Region 1 town services,” Strever said.
Stress, anxiety and emotional health indicators
Despite the positive indicators, emotional strain remains a concern.
More than half of students in grades 7 to 12 — 57.1% — reported experiencing stress or anxiety “some of the time” in the past year. Another 14.5% reported feeling stress or anxious “almost always” and 6.5% reported feeling that way “always.” Only 21.8% reported feeling stress free.
About 18.3% said they felt sad or hopeless for two consecutive weeks during the past year.
Brady-Shanley said these findings reflect what teachers have been seeing in recent years.
“You know, if we were to go back 10 to 15 years, I don’t think that we would be seeing the percent of anxiety that we see right now,” she said. “I think there are two main triggers: COVID-19 that did not help anyone, with social isolation. And I think number two, social media has had a huge influence on kids’ anxiety.”
The survey also found troubling data: 15.4% reported thoughts of self-harm in the past year, 7.8% reported engaging in self-harm behavior and 9.8% reported having considered suicide in the past 12 months.
Brady-Shanley said these figures highlight the importance of support systems, and are being taken very seriously.
Speaking of the suicide figure, she said: “Any number with the exception of a zero is concerning.”
The percentage considering suicide was highest among grades 7–8, where 10.9% considered it, compared to 9.2% for grades 9–12. Among students who considered suicide, 23.1% said they made a plan, and 13.8% reported attempting suicide.
Brady-Shanley said the district has implemented annual training programs to help staff recognize and help students with mental health issues.
“Part of what we’re doing is giving staff the tools to be able to recognize when a kid is in crisis.”
She added that the district recently secured funding to continue three additional social workers at the elementary school level.
The goal, she said, is to ensure schools are prepared to respond quickly when students show signs of crisis.
At Cornwall Consolidated School, Principal Leanne Maguire said the middle school findings are particularly concerning.
“The survey results for our 7th and 8th graders are particularly startling. When we see that 94% of middle schoolers in our region have experienced anxiety in the past year — and that [nearly] 11% have considered suicide, while 20% of those have reported self-harm, it moves beyond a ‘trend,’ and into a call for immediate action. These aren’t just statistics; they are the daily lived experiences of our students.”
Maguire said she will ask town officials to support expanding the school counselor position to full time.
Early access to smartphones and screen use
Most students receive their first smartphone between the ages of 11 and 13, with social media accounts typically beginning between 12 and 14.
“I would love to see the access to social media going to like 16 and above,” Brady-Shanley said. “I think the little brain of a 12- to 14-year-old is not ready to handle the very adult world of social media.”
Currently, more than 97% of students reported having a social media account prior to age 16, according to the study. Nearly 90% had smartphones before reaching 14 years of age.
Approximately 58% of students said social media helps them feel connected. At the same time, about one-third reported difficulty stopping scrolling, and roughly 25% said they felt left out at times because of social media.
Substance use remains below state, national levels
High school students in Region One continue to report substance use rates below Connecticut and national averages.
For the month prior to the May 2025 study, 10.7% reported drinking alcohol — roughly half the statewide rate of 21.1% and the national rate of 22.1%. Marijuana use was reported by 8.1% of students, compared with 14.7% statewide and 17% nationally. Meanwhile, 7.4% reported vaping, lower than Connecticut’s 11.5% rate and far below the 16.8% national figure. Cigarette use was low at 2.9%.
“Fantastic. I think it speaks to what parents are teaching their children at home. It speaks to what we’re, you know, encouraging from the school perspective,” Brady-Shanley said. “Kids do listen when their parents talk to them about this kind of stuff.”
Strever said the high school has seen measurable progress.
“One of the most encouraging takeaways from the 2025 report is the continued downward trend in substance use among HVRHS students. When comparing this data to the 2023 report, we observed a notable decrease in 30-day vaping rates, which dropped from 10 percent to 6.9 percent. We also saw slight declines in the reported use of alcohol and marijuana. These shifts suggest that prevention education and the healthy choices being made by our student body are trending in a positive direction.”
Bullying still present
While bullying remains present, the survey suggests it is not pervasive for most students. About 39.4% said they have never been bullied, and 43.5% reported having been bullied at some point — but not within the past 30 days.
Still, 10.3% reported occasional bullying in the week prior to the survey, and 6.8% reported frequent or near-daily bullying in the three weeks leading up to the study.
While bullying remains a concern, the vast majority of students did not report recent incidents.
“So I think 40% of our kids reporting that they’ve never been bullied is honestly … a strong number,” Brady-Shanley said.
She said adult intervention appears consistent when incidents occur.
“If adults are seeing something, they’re not just passively letting it go by,” she said. “I think you’ll see that more frequently at the younger levels. You know, high schoolers tend to be a little bit more reserved with their requests, sometimes for assistance, yeah.”
The most common forms of bullying were name-calling, rumors and social exclusion.
High school sexual behavior and communication
Among high school students, 48.4% reported having talked with a parent or guardian about birth control, sexually transmitted infections or delaying pregnancy.
Brady-Shanley said this number needs to be higher.
“Parents need to talk more to their kids and I need that number to be 100%,” she said. “We want our kids and our families having conversations about their children’s physical health and ultimately their mental health. Kids listen when their parents talk.”
Brady-Shanley said the survey ultimately reflects both progress and ongoing work.
She said the district will continue reviewing the findings with administrators and staff, using the data to guide prevention programs and student support services.
“For the most part, our kids feel like they have a trusted adult in their life,” she said. “But we still have some work to do.”
Riley Klein contributed to this article.
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