White Hart approved for pizza nights amid permitting debate

The White Hart Inn is located in Salisbury.
        Alec Linden
    

The White Hart Inn is located in Salisbury.
“If the paperwork’s not right, I’d love to see it get fixed,” —Cathy Shyer, vice chair Salisbury Planning and Zoning Commission
SALISBURY — The White Hart Inn will once again run its pizza evenings on the lawn this summer, however, the Planning and Zoning Commission has lingering questions as to the permitting status of Provisions, the hotel’s café that runs the popular event.
After some debate regarding Salisbury’s Zoning Regulation 906, which deals with temporary permits, on May 19 the Commission voted to allow the Inn to conduct its outdoor pizza operation for the season. P&Z stipulated this would be the final temporary permit granted to the hotel.
Attorney Emily Vail, representing the Inn, first brought the application to the Commission at its May 5 meeting, where Chair Michael Klemens said that he was disappointed to see an application for a temporary permit. The Inn had been issued one last year, he explained, but was asked to return with an application for a broader special permit that would account for several outstanding issues with parking and the Provisions restaurant should it decide to use the pizza oven again.
Attorney Vail explained that the Inn was again seeking a temporary permit because site plans were still being drawn for the general application. She added that her client was taking precautions regarding potential fallout from an ongoing litigation against P&Z that would affect its ability to regulate hotels in the “rural-residential 1” zone, which the White Hart Inn is located in.
Klemens advised Vail to speak with P&Z’s lawyer Charles Andres “out of an abundance of caution,” and to return to P&Z on May 19 to review options.
When Vail appeared before the Commission again on May 19, she said that the Inn would still seek a temporary permit for this summer’s pizza oven operation as it remained the best option after her conversation with Andres. She also returned with a document that she alleged negated Klemens’ claims on May 5 that Provisions had been developed “entirely without any permits, and site plans.”
She presented a blueprint of the Provisions kitchen and dining area, which was stamped as received by the Planning and Zoning Commission office on May 13, 2016, and upon which a box for office use titled “Zoning Permit #” was filled in with the letters “NR,” which Vail interpreted to mean “Not Required.”
Land Use Administrator Abby Conroy said she could not accept the document as zoning approval, since there was no signature from the previous zoning enforcement officer, Nancy Brusie, or any other indication of a sign-off from the office.
Commission Secretary Martin Whalen noted that Vail’s reading of “NR” was only an interpretation, to which she conceded that it also could indicate “Not Reviewed.”
Vail reiterated that “the application was submitted for zoning review in 2016”; the Inn had done its due diligence. Still, the Commission continued to question the Inn’s lack of proper documentation.
Members of P&Z agreed that the conversation surrounding the Inn’s proper permitting — much of which revolves around whether Provisions qualifies as a “high-turnover” restaurant and subsequent parking implications — was best left for another time as the focus of the evening’s discussion was the temporary permit for the pizza oven.
Before moving on, P&Z Vice Chair Cathy Shyer, who acted as chair in Klemens’ absence at the May 19 meeting, strongly encouraged the Inn to work towards total site plan approval.
“I think we all feel very good about the services the White Hart offers and the community spirit that they’ve built over the years, there’s no question about that,” she said, “but if the paperwork’s not right, I’d love to see it get fixed.”
Vail said that the Inn was taking active steps towards that end, but that the process has been more complicated than simply submitting an application.
Responding to request for comment, Hotel Manager Daniel Winkley stated, “We are grateful to P&Z for supporting our efforts to bring pizza back to the green this year.” He declined to elaborate on the broader permitting situation.
WOODBURY — Nonnewaug High School claimed twin titles in the Berkshire League soccer tournament finals.
The school's girls and boys teams were named league champions after finishing the regular season with the best win/loss records. Winning the tournaments earned each team a plaque and added to the program's success in 2025.
Both of Nonnewaug's varsity teams faced off against their counterparts from Housatonic Valley Regional High School in the tournament finals in Woodbury Tuesday, Oct. 28.
The boys game was played first. Housatonic took a quick 2-0 lead with goals from Gustavo Portillo and Jackson McAvoy. Nonnewaug responded in the second half with three consecutive goals: first from Cash Medonis then two from Vincenzo Rose. The Nonnewaug boys won 3-2.
 
The girls game followed. Nonnewaug and Housatonic traded goals early on and the score was tied 2-2 at halftime. Nonnewaug scored twice more in the second half to win 4-2. Housatonic's goals were scored by Ava Segalla. Rosie Makarewicz scored twice for Nonnewaug and Hailey Goldman and Aubrey Doran scored once.
Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference soccer tournaments begin Oct. 31. Both Housatonic teams qualified for the Class S tournament and both Nonnewaug teams qualified for the Class M tournament.
TORRINGTON — Joan Jardine, 90, of Mill Lane, passed away at home on Oct. 23, 2025. She was the loving wife of David Jardine.
Joan was born Aug. 9, 1935, in Throop, Pennsylvania, daughter of the late Joseph and Vera (Ezepchick) Zigmont.
Joan graduated from Harding High School.
She was a working artist for much of her adult life, starting her career studying plein air impressionist oil painting at the Cape Cod School of Art. Her work evolved to include a more representational style, and eventually a large body of abstract pieces. Her award-winning work has been shown in galleries and juried art shows throughout southern New England.
She is survived by her daughter Leslie and her husband George, brothers Joseph, Victor, and their families, nephews Gregory, Christopher, and their families, daughter-in- law Huong, and the extended Jardine family. She was predeceased by her son Douglas, and brother Michael.
A memorial service will be held at All Saints of America Orthodox Church, 313 Twin Lakes Road, Salisbury, Connecticut on Thursday, Oct. 30, at 10 a.m. Memorial contributions may be made to the All Saints of America Orthodox Church, PO Box 45, Salisbury, CT 06068.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
The ofrenda at Race Brook Lodge.
On Saturday, Nov. 1, the Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield will celebrate the Mexican Day of the Dead: El Día de los Muertos.
Mexican Day of the Dead takes place the first weekend of November and honors los difuntos (the deceased) with ofrendas (offerings) on an altar featuring photos of loved ones who have passed on. Elements of earth, wind, fire and water are represented with food, papel picada (colorful decorative paper), candles and tequila left for the beloved deceased. The departed are believed to travel from the spirit world and briefly join the living for a night of remembrance and revelry.
Music and events programmer Alex Harvey has been producing Día de los Muertos at Race Brook for the past three years, and with the closing of the venue looming, the festival takes on a deep and personal meaning.
“The anchoring gesture of Race Brook, long before I arrived on the scene, has always been to cultivate a space that thins the veil between the worlds. Something otherworldly is hiding in the mountain’s towering shadow: the whispering spring-fed stream, the dense lineage that founder Dave Rothstein brings, the woodsmoke that rises every night of the year from the firepits. This space communes with the spirits,” said Harvey.
“And so we cradle a special ache in our hearts as the leaves turn and the beautiful dance of Race Brook’s project of cultural pollination draws to a close. Fitting, then, to return for one last activation — Día de Los Muertos — a celebration of the end of things. A remembrance of those who’ve made the transition we are all destined for, but also a time when we honor many types of loss. And while we will all mourn those who aren’t there in the flesh, we will also, with humility, come as mourners for the space itself,” Harvey continued.
The event will be a night to remember, to celebrate and to release with ritual, music, and communal remembrance. Participants are invited to bring photos, talismans and offerings for the ofrenda (offering), as well as songs, poems or toasts to share in tribute to loved ones who have passed.
Mexican American musicians Maria Puente Flores, Mateo Cano, Víctor Lizabeth, Oviedo Horta Jr. and Andrea from Pulso de Barro, an ensemble rooted in the Veracruz tradition of son jarocho, will be performing.
Translating to “Pulse of the Clay,” their name reflects a deep connection to the earth and to the living heartbeat of culture itself. Through a synthesis of Mexican, Cuban, Venezuelan and Puerto Rican traditions, Pulso de Barro merges poetry, rhythm and communal song as pathways to coexistence with nature. Their performances feature the jarana and leona (stringed instruments), quijada, cajón, maracas, and marimba (percussion), the tarima (percussive dance platform) and a call-and-response of folk and original versadas.
The evening begins at 6 p.m. in the Barn Space with a Fandango de los Muertos featuring Pulso de Barro, a Race Brook favorite. At 8 p.m., the Open Mic for the Dead invites guests to speak directly into the spirit world — through word, music or memory. The night culminates at 10:30 p.m. with a Fandango for the Dead, a participatory music and dance celebration. Bring your instruments, your voices and your dancing shoes.
Race Brook Lodge is a unique rustic getaway destination for relaxation, hiking, live music, workshops, weddings and more. Sadly, it will be closing for good later in 2026, ending a storied chapter of Berkshire music, art, culture and well-being.
Come experience an evening that honors lost loved ones and the end of a Berkshire institution. The cycle of life endures. Surely, resurrection is in the cards for Race Brook Lodge.
For Tickets and info, visit: rblodge.com