Kristie A. Agar and James G. Koneazny of New Marlborough, Massachusetts, entered into the sacrament of marriage on Saturday, April 26, at the Koneazny family chapel. The ceremony was conducted by Traditional Catholic Bishop Loya from Mexico City. The couple are enjoying their honeymoon in the Caribbean.
Latest News
Pet photo contest
Madi Long
Nov 05, 2026
Georgie, the resident office dog at The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News.
Natalia Zuckerman
Few things bring as much joy to a household as a pet. Whether they're our loyal companions, our biggest personalities or the ones who somehow manage to run the household, they have a way of making life a little more fun.
From dogs who greet us like we've been gone for years to cats who remind us who's really in charge, our pets bring plenty of character, comfort and a whole lot of love into our homes.
They're our walking buddies, couch companions, adventure partners and, of course, our favorite subjects to photograph.
We invited our community to introduce us to the pets who fill their lives with love. We're excited to share some of the adorable faces, funny personalities and furry friends that make our lives so special.
"Took" - Turkish Angora loved by Emily Peterson

Emily Peterson
Took, is a one-year-old Turkish Angora cat who lives in Falls Village. Fun fact: Took was named after the Hobbit Peregrin "Pippin" Took, from Lord of the Rings!
"Coop" - Dachshund loved by Karlee Mcghee

Karlee Mcghee
This is Coop, a cream/copper colored dachshund. He is a year old on October 11, and he lives in Sharon, CT. His favorite part about fall is chasing the leaves when they blow in the wind.
"Murray" - Clumber Spaniel loved by the Goldring Family

Daniel Goldring
This is Murray, a 5.5 year old Clumber Spaniel who is 60lbs of fun! He lives in Lakeville and can often be seen hiking Dark Hollow Road. Fun fact: he sits on the bench looking out the front window just to make sure we always come home. Works every time!
"Beni" - "Super Mutt" loved by Roxanne and Scott Bok

Roxanne Bok
Beignet “Beni” came to Roxanne and her husband, Scott, 2 years ago at 6 years of age. She is 8 different breeds, including “super mutt” - which is an actual category - but seems to identify as mostly terrier. She was originally rescued from a shelter in Louisiana, spent some time in foster with a FL veterinarian before coming to them. They had a rough first few months as she was fear-aggressive, especially regarding other dogs, but is still gaining confidence and trust. She is crazy for the woods and loves nothing better than digging for chipmunks in holes. They love her deeply and have learned the rich rewards of adopting. "Beni" lives in Salisbury, CT.
"Henry" - Jack Russell Terrier loved by Mimi Harson

Mimi Harson
This is Henry, nickname Barky Sparky. He is a 14.5 yr old, 14lb, Jack Russell Terrier and loves to hike Lions Head with his mom.
"Charlie" - Standard Poodle loved by Gwen Greene

Gwen Greene
Charlie is a Standard Poodle born on January 20, 2021. He's a charmer and loves having his photos taken.
"Bella" - Portuguese Water Dog loved by Megan Jensen Sher

Megan Jensen Sher
Bella is a Portuguese Water Dog who lives in Falls Village. She came to Megan as a rescue from Texas last year.
"Maisie" - Lab mix loved by Alexandra Missett

Alexandra Missett
Maisie is a lab mix from Millerton. Fun Fact: Maisie loves the snow, but hates the rain.
"Thorin" - Kerry Blue Terrier loved by Elizabeth Demetriades

Elizabeth Demetriades
Thorin is a Champion Kerry Blue Terrier who LOVES Twin Lakes where he practices for his Dock Diving Competitions! Fun Fact: Thorin has earned an AKC DJ Dock Junior Title!
"Ralphie" - English Cream Golden Retriever loved by Colleen Kopec

Colleen Kopec
Ralphie Kopec is a 3 year old English Cream Golden Retriever. He's described as the smartest Golden ever!
"Tiny" - Loved by Melissa Ferrick

Melissa Ferrick
Tiny is 5 years old and loves to be pet so much. She lives in Millerton, NY.
"Trixie" - German Short Haired Pointer loved by Andrew Lacasse

| Andrew Lacasse |
Trixie is a 5 year old German short haired pointer. She lives in Millerton, New York. She's extremely vocal she has no problem expressing what’s on her mind. She loves going for rides in the truck no matter what we are doing from tractor supply runs to plowing snow in the winter.
"Charlie" - Goldendoodle loved by Czarinna Andres and Family

Czarinna Andres
Charlie, the Goldendoodle, reads the Lakeville Journal from his favorite spot in Harwinton!
"Roger" - Sphynx cat loved by D.H. Callahan

D.H. Callahan
Roger is a Sphynx cat that lives in Cornwall, CT.
"Susie Lucy Sharon Stone" - Loved by Melissa Ferrick

Melissa Ferrick
Susie Lucy Sharon Stone was a street cat and can be a bit clumsy but loves a window seat in the sun. She lives in Millerton.
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Harding concedes State Senate District 30 to Zimmer
Patrick Stachniak
Nov 04, 2026
Just as polls close, Former District 30 State Senator Stephen Harding greets supporters at his election watch party at The Abby Restaurant & Bar in New Milford, CT, Nov. 3.
Patrick Stachniak
In an unprecedented midterm election the evening of Nov. 3, Democrats across the country flipped battleground races for federal and local representatives in what has been described as a blue tsunami. The results in Connecticut were no different.
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Small trout, big lasagna and bad movies
Patrick L. Sullivan
Nov 04, 2026
The Men of CACA. From left, the author, Steve DeSimone, and Tom Gallucio.
Gary Dodson
I recently convened the fall meeting of CACA, which stands for Cinema, Angling and Culinary Appreciation.
This takes place in Phoenicia, New York. We fish all day, make a bountiful dinner, and watch the world’s worst movies.
CACA was founded about 25 years ago, back when we had to worry about the elderly VCR eating the tape of “Death Race 2000.”
Attending this year were Steve DeSimone, who I met in the sixth grade, and my itinerant attorney Tom Gallucio.
Steve is gainfully employed and could only manage a couple of days. Tom wanders the nation with a small camper, so he was underfoot the entire week.
When the cool weather begins and he starts to molt, he knows it’s time to head south. So this was his last hurrah in the Northeast.
The culinary appreciation began when Tom made a 15 pound lasagna. We weighed it to be sure. It lasted all week.
On the cinema front, the big discovery was John Boorman’s 1974 ode to weirdness, “Zardoz.”
Whatever you do, do not Google the words “Zardoz” and “Sean Connery” and then select “images.”
If you do you will see something that cannot be unseen. And because this is a family newspaper, that’s all I have to say on the subject.
The angling was so-so. The Esopus was suffering from turbidity, so we concentrated on tributaries, which were running clear.
What we were hoping for was brown trout ready to put on the nosebag.
What we found were small wild rainbows.
I caught my fish on Leadwing Coachmen wet flies and small, heavy Bread and Butter and Surveyor nymphs.
Here in Connecticut, the stocking trucks have been rolling and a trip to the Blackberry, Housatonic or Farmington will probably be rewarding.
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Sharon plans replacement of West Cornwall Road bridge
Patrick Stachniak
Nov 04, 2026
SHARON — The Board of Selectmen and Planning & Zoning Commission have approved new plans to replace the West Cornwall Road bridge over Pine Swamp Brook, just south of the historic covered bridge over the Housatonic River in West Cornwall.
The project has been in the works for three years after a survey determined that the structure was nearing the end of its intended life-span. After passing the P&Z commission, the project now only needs approval from four property owners near the site to begin the bidding process.
Demolition and the new bridge will cost an estimated total of $1.5 million, with Sharon responsible for 50%. First Selectman Casey Flanagan is “cautiously optimistic” construction will begin in spring 2027.
“We conducted a bridge assessment of our structures between six and 20 feet in length,” said Flanagan. “This bridge was identified as the top priority because of its poor condition, so that was the first one we started with.”
The approximately 15-foot bridge that crosses Pine Swamp Brook, and the several other bridges along West Cornwall Road can be indistinguishable from the normal road for commuters, according to Flanagan.
Flanagan did not identify any dangers or deficiencies but said the bridge has reached the end of its design life.
Connecticut’s $16 million State Local Bridge Program, administered by the Department of Transportation (CDOT), reimburses municipalities for repairs and replacement for small bridges. Though each town is responsible for the design, bidding and construction process, the state will reimburse 50% of the project’s total cost.
“Whether it’s kids going to school, people heading to work, or traveling to visit friends and family, every community depends on bridges that are safe and built to last,” said Governor Ned Lamont in July.
“This grant program provides significant relief to our towns and cities, helping them tackle costly infrastructure projects they couldn’t take on alone.”
The largest hurdle for both the Board of Selectmen and P&Z Commission was the revelation that four separate private properties intersect at the middle of the extended design’s Western side, which increases its lifespan.However, Flanagan stated that the property owners were cooperative and willing to allow the updated bridge design to stretch roughly 15 feet into their properties. Sharon has sought a permanent easement on the land to allow the new guardrails and road to remain on the properties, as well as enable maintenance and upkeep.
Though the complication increased the approval process timeline, Flanagan feels confident the town can compensate the property owners fairly and estimates Sharon will be able to complete the bidding process over the winter and begin construction in 2027.
The new design will not make substantial changes to the present bridge and will be functional for the next 100 years.
“Everything’s been going well. Hopefully the property owners are still eager and willing to work with us because it’s going to benefit them just as much as anybody else,” Flanagan said. “I’m cautiously optimistic that we’ll be able to negotiate deals with them all and move forward.”
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Salisbury Forum links science, religion and Earth’s future
Patrick L. Sullivan
Nov 04, 2026
From left, Sam King, Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim discuss how religion and science can be used to address environmental challenges on Oct. 30.
Patrick L. Sullivan
LAKEVILLE — Religious scholars Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim and environmentalist, writer and former Hotchkiss teacher Sam King delivered a presentation at The Hotchkiss School Friday, Oct. 30.
Sponsored by the Salisbury Forum, “Change the Story, Change the World: A New Vision for an Ecological Era” explored how religious tradition and modern science can be used together to address environmental and spiritual challenges.
Tucker and Grim are co-directors of the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology. King is project director for Journey of the Universe and taught environmental humanities at Hotchkiss.
Tucker and Grim were both students of Thomas Berry, a Catholic priest and professor at Fordham University who advocated for humanity to see itself as part of an interdependent community with the Earth, rather than using scientific and technological advances to exploit the planet.
The speakers made frequent references to “Journey of the Universe,” an Emmy Award-winning documentary co-written by Tucker. The film tells the story of the evolution of the universe, the Earth and humans from the Big Bang to the present.
Tucker said Berry was looking “not just for ways of enlightenment but a new way forward.”
“We need a new story that will integrate the discoveries of science” with religious beliefs, she said. “This new story has to be told in many forms.”
Grim said the challenge of “Journey” was how to tell the story of the evolving universe in what was originally a two-hour program, later edited down to one hour for television.
The subject matter was daunting, and the film deals with questions such as “Where did gravity come from?”
Tucker said the response to the film was gratifying and surprising. “China has really picked this up because it works with their traditions.”
Grim said he met a student from Pakistan who wanted to bring the film to that country even though it might be seen as contradicting Islamic teachings.
The student “cracked that nut,” and the film was shown in private and public schools in Pakistan without incident.
King, whose work on “Journey” includes arranging screenings, publishing a newsletter and hosting a podcast, said he taught at Hotchkiss from 2016 to 2019 in interdisciplinary humanities courses that asked students questions such as “Where do we come from?” and “What is a good human society?”
He said he discovered the film at a retreat and knew he had found something.
“I felt like I was meeting my own teachers.”
He started thinking about “a new cosmology with a new science.”
“We stand at a profound cosmic moment. We’re in the sixth mass extinction event, and the first caused by humans.”
The question for King was how to inspire young people to move from a model of human exploitation of nature toward a mutually enhancing relationship with it.
“We need to instill in young people a sense of fulfillment as creatures.”
Tucker said the interest is there. “Young people are very keen on science and cosmology.”
“This generation has gone through cynicism, disempowerment and despair. They’re coming out in a new place of hope and possibility. I’m very excited.”
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Backgammon group adds ‘Pizza and Play’ at White Hart
Ruth Epstein
Nov 04, 2026
Playing backgammon at the Saturday session at Le Gamin in Sharon are front, Jennifer Dowley and Harding Bancroft. Behind them are Michael Lonergan and David Dabill.
Ruth Epstein
Like pickleball enthusiasts who just can’t get enough of the game, those who love backgammon are eager to play as often as possible.
With interest growing, Backgammon of Northwest Connecticut has added a third location for its weekly gatherings.
Besides offering instruction and play at the Hotchkiss Library at 2 p.m. Wednesdays and competitive play at Le Gamin Cafe at 9 a.m. Saturdays, the group now gathers in the White Hart Inn’s library in Salisbury at 5 p.m. Wednesdays, where players can purchase pizza made in the outdoor oven.
What began as a handful of players has grown to a mailing list of 70 people, most of whom live within 30 miles of Sharon. They come from Cornwall, Litchfield, Torrington and Kent, with some traveling regularly from New York and Boston.
Several members teach the game at the Hotchkiss Library at no charge. Beginners and intermediate players are welcome. There are no membership requirements or dues.
On Saturday mornings, players are paired with others of similar proficiency. On Wednesdays at the Hotchkiss Library, the emphasis is on teaching, using a lesson plan composed of 14 components.
“Backgammon combines the strategy of chess, the luck of poker and the randomness of dice to create a unique experience for both the novice and the seasoned player,” said group founder Roger Lourie. “The use of the doubling cube takes the players to a whole new dimension of competitiveness. The use of the cube marks a player’s graduation from social play to competition; from novice to the first steps of expertise.”
Lourie, who introduces players to one another, said competitive play is also about enjoying one another’s company. He aims to match players of similar skill.
Ed Corey, director of membership services for the U.S. Backgammon Federation, provides informal instruction. Advanced beginners and intermediate players also play backgammon chouettes, a format in which a team strategizes together to defeat a single player known as “the box.”
During most sessions, players can purchase food to enjoy while they play.
The new location at the White Hart gives players another opportunity to gather with the four-year-old group.
David Dabill of Falls Village, the organizer of the “Pizza and Play” sessions, said, “This is a way for people to connect on an individual basis. Winters are long here and the White Hart is a community center for many activities. Long winters and dark days give us a chance to connect, dine and compete.”
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