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About 40 people gathered on the lawn of the White Hart Inn on Sunday, Dec. 14, to mark the anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
L. Tomaino
SALISBURY — Despite frigid temperatures, about 40 people gathered Dec. 14 on the snowy lawn outside the White Hart Inn for an evening vigil honoring the 20 children and six educators killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School, as well as victims of gun violence nationwide and around the world.
Organizers Lee and Sophia deBoer said that while this year marked the 13th anniversary of the 2012 massacre, it was the 14th vigil the community has held.
Sophia deBoer said the annual gathering is driven by both remembrance and personal experience.
In May 2009, while her daughter was finishing her senior year at Wesleyan University, a fatal shooting occurred on campus. The event, she said, reinforced her belief in the importance of public remembrance and collective reflection.
As the vigil began at 5 p.m., Sophia deBoer invited attendees to widen their focus beyond a single tragedy.
“As we take time to remember those at Sandy Hook, take time to remember all the mass shootings,” she said.
State Rep. Maria Horn spoke about the enduring impact of Sandy Hook, noting that recent mass shootings — including incidents at Brown University and in Bondi Beach, Australia — demonstrate the continued global scope of gun violence.
“The freshmen at Brown were the same age the Sandy Hook children would be now,” Horn said.
Horn noted that she has seen a shift in Hartford toward gun-safety measures, which she described as “a sign of hope.”
John Nelson of the Salisbury Congregational Church read from Amanda Gorman’s poem “Hymn for the Hurting,” offering words that spoke to collective grief.
Musicians Ed Thorney and Greg Reiss followed with acoustic performances of two songs from the 1960s — “Get Together,” by Chet Powers, and Stephen Stills’ “For What It’s Worth.”
The selections, they noted, continue to resonate in the context of modern social unrest and violence.
The names of the Sandy Hook children and educators were then read aloud. After each name, a bell tolled.
Louise Brown shared the story of her son, Elliot, 41, who lived in New Orleans and was shot and killed when he answered a knock at his door. Brown recalled words spoken by her daughter-in-law at his funeral: “I was lucky to have him. Most important in life is love. Nothing else matters.”
The vigil concluded with John Carter, retired priest at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Salisbury, leading attendees in a rendition of “Amazing Grace.”
As the gathering ended, church bells rang 26 times — once for each child and educator killed at Sandy Hook — closing the vigil in solemn remembrance.
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Kevin John Huber
Dec 23, 2025
SALISBURY — Kevin John Huber, 50, of Salisbury, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Dec. 9, 2025. He was the beloved husband of Celina (Gonzalez) Huber and a devoted father to Timothy and Sara Huber. Kevin was born on Oct. 2, 1975, the son of Kevin George Huber and Peggy (Wernig) Kern.
He grew up in Blue Point, New York, where his love of sports started as soon as he could walk. He was a graduate of St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School in West Islip, New York. He attended the University of Bridgeport, where he was a four-year starter on the baseball team and forged friendships that would shape his future in the game. Following graduation, Kevin played professionally with the Zurich Lions of the Swiss Professional Baseball League before beginning a distinguished coaching career.
Kevin’s professional life was defined by his commitment to education, mentorship, and athletics. In 2001, Kevin founded the Connecticut Blue Jays, one of the state’s original AAU Baseball programs. For more than two decades, Kevin, with his business partner and close friend Patrick Hall, operated a highly successful baseball program that impacted hundreds of young athletes, including several who went on to play in Major League Baseball organizations.
Kevin’s coaching career spanned multiple levels, including positions as an Assistant Baseball Coach at the University of New Haven and Fairfield University. He ended his time in college coaching at Yale University, where he spent seven years on staff. Upon the birth of his children, he served for eight years as a Physical Education teacher at St. Theresa School in Trumbull, Connecticut, and at Our Lady of Fatima School in Wilton, Connecticut, where he inspired young students with his energy, humor, and emphasis on teamwork and personal growth.
In 2016, Kevin was named Head Baseball Coach at Salisbury School, where he proudly carried on a storied prep-school tradition. Under his leadership, the Crimson Knights captured Western New England Prep Baseball League Championships in 2018, 2022, 2023, and 2024, compiling an outstanding record of 113–33 over eight seasons. From 2023-2025, he spent the summers as Head Coach of the South Shore Clippers in the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League, further demonstrating his dedication to developing players and fostering a love of the game at the collegiate level.
In addition to baseball, Kevin was a dedicated member of Salisbury School’s Athletic Department, serving as Assistant Athletic Director, Assistant Basketball Coach and Head Cross Country Coach. His influence extended well beyond the diamond, as he was known for demanding excellence, fostering discipline, and building character in student-athletes across multiple sports. Kevin will be remembered for his exceptional baseball mind, his passion for mentoring young people, his humor, and the genuine relationships he built with players, colleagues, and friends throughout the New England athletic community.
Survivors, in addition to his wife and parents, include his son, Timothy Huber, and his daughter, Sara Huber of Salisbury; his brother, Brian Huber and his wife, Stacy, of Monroe; his sister, Nancy Tommasino and her husband, Matt, of Bayport, New York; nieces and nephews, Derek and Evan Huber and Grace and Lucas Tommasino; as well as many other family members, close friends, former players, and fellow coaches whose lives he profoundly touched.
A Celebration of Life memorial gathering will be held on Jan. 11, 2026, from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Flood Athletic Center at Salisbury School, 251 Canaan Road, Salisbury, Connecticut.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the American Heart Association heart.org/donate in Kevin’s name (heart.org/donate).
To offer an online condolence, please visit ryanfhct.com
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To our readers
Dec 23, 2025
This year showed, once again, how essential The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News are to our communities. Throughout 2025, we heard from readers who told us our reporting helped them better understand the issues facing their towns. Local organizations shared that attendance at their events increased following coverage in our papers or features in our newsletter. Advertisers reported an increase in business after readers saw an ad or a story about them.
Our core mission remains unchanged — to deliver trusted local news. National policy shifts created significant uncertainty this year, and we focused on explaining their local consequences: from immigration enforcement and school funding to the loss of federal support for healthcare, the arts, and food access in our rural communities. But even amid heavier topics, there was much to celebrate – Sharon Playhouse’s launch of a program for emerging theater artists; community fundraisers for Project SAGE, the Hotchkiss Library of Sharon, and the North East Community Center; and countless examples of neighbors stepping up to meet needs.
Transitions
This year was also one of important transitions in our newsroom. With John Coston’s retirement, we welcomed Christian Murray as Executive Editor. At The Millerton News, Nathan Miller became Managing Editor, and Aly Morrissey joined as a reporter. Along with a team of correspondents, they are reinvigorating coverage across eastern Dutchess County. With strong editorial teams in place across both papers, we are positioned for an ambitious reporting agenda in 2026.
Education initiatives
We remain committed to building the next generation of editors, reporters and readers. This year we launched a journalism curriculum and student newspaper — HVRHS Today — at Housatonic Valley Regional High School, giving students professional guidance and a platform for their voices. Our competitive summer intern program continued to draw talented young journalists, and we established a new partnership with Marist University to broaden future opportunities. None of this would have been possible without the support of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, the 21st Century Fund, the William and Mary Greve Foundation, along with generous private donors.
We look forward to the continued growth of our education program.
Sustainability
Like many community newspapers, we continue to navigate financial and operational challenges. With the help of national, local, and regional foundations — including the Foundation for Community Health, the MacArthur, Tow, and Barr foundations, and new grants from the DJ McManus and Anne and Rollin Bates foundations — we’ve been able to stabilize operations and invest in our newsroom. Combined with community support, this funding sustains essential reporting and helps us build the capacity we need for the future.
Community Engagement
This spring we held the first Millerton Street Fair, modeled on our annual Salisbury Street Fair, convening nonprofits and community groups for a day of connection and shared purpose. And in November, we presented the Estabrook Community Leadership Award to Bunny Williams, recognizing her extraordinary contributions and bringing together supporters and neighbors in celebration of community leadership.
Looking ahead to 2026, our focus is on strengthening our reporting, deepening community engagement, and building a sustainable local news organization. None of this work is possible without you — our readers, subscribers, advertisers, donors and partners.
Thank you for your trust and support. It’s a privilege to serve our communities.
James H. Clark
CEO/Publisher
Reach out to us
Please don’t hesitate to contact me directly with questions, comments, concerns at 860-435-9873 x401 or jamesc@lakevillejournal.com.
News: Reach Executive Editor Christian Murray at christianm@lakevillejournal.com, Lakeville Journal Managing Editor Riley Klein at rileyk@lakevillejournal.com and Millerton News Managing Editor Nathan Miller at nathanm@millertonnews.com.
Letters to the Editor may be emailed to publisher@lakevillejournal.com or submitted via our websites.
Obituaries may be submitted to obituaries@lakevillejournal.com or via our websites.
Advertising inquiries can be directed to Roxanne Lee, roxannel@lakevillejournal.com, or Mary Wilbur, maryw@lakevillejournal.com. And for classified line ads, Lyndee Stalter at classified@lakevillejournal.com.
Legal Notices can be sent to Michelle Eisenman at legals@lakevillejournal.com.
Subscription questions including new subscriptions, renewals and address changes can be sent to circulation@lakevillejournal.com.
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Robert Allen Weber
Dec 23, 2025
SALISBURY — Bob Weber, age 84, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Dec. 14, 2025, in his favorite chair in the home he built and loved in Salisbury. He was married to Jeanette Weber for 57 years.
Robert Allen Weber was born March 1, 1941, in New York City, the son of the late Harold and Theresa Zeitler Weber.
Bob graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School and City College where he majored in Industrial Engineering.
An outstanding athlete, he played lacrosse and ran track, primarily on a record-setting mile relay team. For many years, going on long runs after work was his stress-reducer.
Bob served in the U.S. Marine Corps and attended the Harvard Business School Management Program. He was employed by Bulova Watch Company for 43 years as an Industrial Engineer and rose to Vice President. Since his retirement in 2007, he served as a consultant to Bulova on environmental sites until his death.
Bob and Jeanette were married on May 4, 1968. Their son, Eric, was born in 1970 and twin daughters, Laura and Christine, followed in 1972. Having three babies in two years was indeed a “fun but challenging experience” for two parents who were only children. Bob and Jeanette moved from New York City to Glen Rock, New Jersey in 1970 where they raised their family, made many friends, and became involved in the community.
After searching for a weekend home for several years, Jeanette urged Bob to follow his dream of designing and building a house. His specifications were: a gravel road, an open meadow setting, and a western view of the mountains. And they found such a site north of Salisbury. The house was completed in 1998, and they were weekenders until becoming full-time residents in 2014. Why Salisbury? When the children were young, the family often traveled from New Jersey to Vermont, driving through Salisbury and stopping at the White Hart Inn where Elyse Harney had a general store with penny candy. There the children got to select candy for the rest of the drive. Each time, Bob would say: “I would love to live in Salisbury some day…”
Bob had a wide range of interests: landscaping and gardening, sports, cooking and grilling, U.S. history, music, dinner parties, travel, cars, NY Times, good wines, long walks with his dog – and most of all, spending time with his family and friends. He attended all the children’s soccer games, wrestling matches, and other events. He served on the Glen Rock Sports Association, was treasurer of the Salisbury Congregational Church, and grilled hundreds of hot dogs for the Salisbury Fall Festival for many years.
He had long-time close friendships from his single days in New York City, his many years at Bulova, and raising his family in New Jersey.
He and Jeanette enjoyed wonderful trips together throughout the United States, the Caribbean, Europe, Scandinavia, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. Some trips were by themselves and others with family or close friends. Bob was usually the designated driver and learned to negotiate roundabouts, drive on the left, wait for herds of sheep, end up in very narrow lanes, discover too late the sign indicating “pedestrians only,” and numerous other funny memories.
Bob was a devoted husband to Jeanette. He was a beloved father to his children. Having lost his own father at age 7, Bob always tried to be the father that he never had. And he so enjoyed each grandchild as he or she joined the family.
He is survived by his wife, Jeanette; son Eric and wife Kristie of Brooklyn; daughter Laura and husband Timmy of El Cerrito, California; Christine and husband Scott of Cromwell, Connecticut; and seven grandchildren ranging in age from 22 to 1: Madison, Belle, Cooper, Ryan, Skyler, Theo, and Ethan. He was Robert, Bob, Dad, Papa, Weber, or Webs to those who knew him, loved him, and will miss him so very much.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Salisbury Volunteer Ambulance Service, PO Box 582, Salisbury, CT 06068.
A celebration of Bob’s life will be held in Salisbury in Spring 2026.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
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