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Patrick L. Sullivan
FALLS VILLAGE— The Falls Village Children’s Theater production of “The Jungle Book” played to packed houses at the Center on Main April 5 to 7.
The relatively short show (about 35 minutes on Sunday, April 7) featured strong singing and dancing, creative stagecraft and costumes, and an overall seamless, crowd-pleasing production.
The director and choreographer was Dana Domenick, with musical direction from Michael Siktberg. Gail Allyn handled the costumes, and Jaimie Sadeh and Devin Boyden headed up the Tech Squad.
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HVRHS bands throw down
Apr 10, 2024
Patrick L. Sullivan
FALLS VILLAGE — Kate From Baltimore won the Battle of the Bands after a spirited set that had the audience dancing.
The fundraiser for the Housatonic Valley Regional High School Class of 2025 was held at the high school Friday, April 5.
There were only three acts. The judges were Joe Bouchard, Joan Levy Hepburn and Ram Miles.
Bouchard was the bass player for Blue Oyster Cult during that band’s heyday.
Opening the show was 19th Blossom of Boredom, with Abram Kirshner (lead vocals), Adam Hock (drums), Peter Austin (guitar), Aden Manes (keyboard). The group played with considerable energy.
Next up was Elizabeth Forbes, playing as Autumn Nostalgia. She noted before she started that her drummer couldn’t make it and she was a little under the weather.
It didn’t seem to affect her performance of three original songs.
Closing the show was the band Kate From Baltimore, with Lou Haemmerle (lead vocals and guitar), Danny Lesch (piano), Aron Ladanyi (bass), Hudson Sebranek (drums) and Jerome Maury (guitar). They charged through a set of originals, plus an encore, and inspired dancing in front of the stage.
Afterward the judges announced the winners: 1. Kate From Baltimore 2. Autumn Nostalgia and 3. 19th Blossom of Boredom.
Hepburn offered comments. She praised 19th Blossom’s energy but advised them to tighten up their rhythm. She praised Forbes’ willingness to proceed despite difficulties and her pitch. And she urged better enunciation from the singers in Kate From Baltimore, while lauding the overall set.
Bouchard said after the show that “there is a lot of talent here.”
The show was hosted by Tess Marks and Andy Delgado.
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Police Blotter: Troop B
Apr 10, 2024
John Coston
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.
Interfering with officer
On Monday, April 1, at approximately 3 p.m., Troopers were dispatched to Aetna Lane in Norfolk on the report of a suspicious incident. An investigation led to the arrest of Eugene Harding, 50, of Norfolk on charges of interfering with an officer and resisting, false incident report, 2nd degree, and misuse of emergency 911. A $15,000 cash-surety bond was issued.
Intersection collision
On Monday, April 1, at approximately 5 p.m., Jonathan Blumberg, 57, of Millerton, was traveling east on Jackson Hill Road in Sharon in a 2019 Toyota RAV4. Orlando Bonett-escobar, 73, of Goshen, in a 2018 Subaru Crosstrek, was stopped at the intersection of Jackson Hill Road and Sharon Mountain Road. Unaware that the Toyota was approaching, Bonett-escobar entered the intersection and collided with the Toyota, and was issued a warning for failure to grant right of way at an intersection.
Jeep hits embankment
On Wednesday, April 3, at approximately 9 p.m., Kevin Harmon, 43, of Falls Village, was northbound on Route 43 in Cornwall in a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee and swerved to avoid a tree in the roadway. The Jeep struck an embankment and sustained disabling damage. Harmon left the scene and later was contacted by Troop B. The vehicle was tdowed from the scene.
Traveling too close
On Thursday, April 4, at approximately 9 p.m., Natalie Wells, 17, of Canaan, was northbound on Route 7 near Stein Lane in a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee and applied the brakes to slow down for a vehicle in front. Nicholas Turner, 20, of Falls Village, was behind the Jeep in a 2005 Lincoln Aviator and struck its rear bumper. The Lincoln was towed from the scene and Turner was issued a verbal warning for failure to travel a reasonable distance apart resulting in a collision.
Lower Road rollover
On Friday, April 5, at approximatley midnight, Hogan Michael William, 32, of Southfield, Massachusetts, was eastbound on Lower Road in North Canaan in a 2020 Hyundai Elant and crossed the centerline, hitting a utility pole, severing it as the base and then reentering the roadway and overturning. The driver was transported to Sharon Hospital for evaluation. The accident remains under investigation.
Construction zone crash
On Friday, April 5, at approximatley 11 a.m., Agnessuzanne Colt, 82, of New York City, was eastbound on Route 44 in Norfolk in a 2016 Mini Cooper and disobeyed a posted Stop sign held by a Trooper. Colt was instructed to reverse due to westbound traffic traveling straight ahead. Colt reversed and struck a Chevrolet van driven by Benjamin Serafini, 41, of Winsted. Colt was cited for disobeying a posted Stop sign, unsafe backing, and disobeying an officer in a construction zone.
The Lakeville Journal will publish the outcome of police charges. Contact us by mail at P.O. Box 1688, Lakeville, CT 06039, Attn: Police Blotter, or send an email, with “police blotter” in the subject line, to johnc@lakevillejournal.
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Jennifer Almquist
Efforts are underway throughout Connecticut to increase community composting and reduce food waste.
For years, most towns in Connecticut have been concerned with the waste stream, yet despite some support from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), and Governor Ned Lamont, the state legislature continues to deny applications for funding. DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said, “We need to reduce waste overall, and reducing food waste by learning how to better manage food in our homes.”
According to Project Drawdown, a leading global resource for climate solutions, “the reversal of global warming is both environmentally and economically achievable by mid-century if we act now and scale up already practical climate solutions like composting.” In its list of the most effective solutions to “draw down” or reverse the build-up of carbon in the atmosphere, reducing food waste ranks within the top three solutions. Composting organic waste, versus landfilling it, can reduce more than 50% of carbon dioxide-equivalent greenhouse gas emissions for a total of 2.1 gigatons between now and 2050.
Pilot programs for food-waste collection and composting are helping towns make some headway. Todd Arcelaschi, the mayor of Winchester, is also the administrator of the Regional Refuse Disposal District No. 1. On a recent blustery day, he gave a tour of the food scrap recycling pilot program that began Jan. 15, 2024.
Located at the Transfer Station that serves Barkhamsted, New Hartford, and Winchester, the program is free to all town residents with transfer station passes. New Hartford resident, Liza Bocchichio, emptied the kitchen scraps produced by her family of four into the blue and yellow bins and said they are very happy with the program. Residents separate their food scraps from normal waste, place them in compostable bags, and deposit them in special bins provided by a Hartford firm, Blue Earth, which then hauls them to Quantum Biopower, a DEEP approved anaerobic digester in Southington. In 21 days, Quantum converts food scraps into compost, and turns the methane by-product inside the facility into biogas that generates electricity for Southington.
Their weekly pickup from the Barkhamsted site was over 1,200 pounds of waste that was not going to the landfill. Arcelaschi said, “Compost improves soil quality, reduces the need for chemical fertilizers, retains water in our soil, and reduces soil erosion. The CT DEEP states that 22% of the waste stream is food.”
Jennifer Heaton-Jones, Executive Director of the Housatonic Resource Recovery Authority (HRRA) in Brookfield, created the first Connecticut curbside pick-up food waste program in Bridgewater in 2014. HRRA now has nine drop-off locations with the goal of having programs in all 14 member towns. She said that perseverance and patience are the most important ingredients for success.
Heaton-Jones applied for and received USDA grants for her latest efforts, which include Connecticut’s first municipal solar-powered Aerated Static Pile (ASP) composting site located in Ridgefield. The solar array powers a pump that aerates the pile of food waste and shredded leaves. She stated, “the goal of this project is to create a self-sustaining closed loop composting system for transforming residential food waste into an end-product for community and agricultural use. This innovative project demonstrates that municipalities can manage food waste locally, reduce the carbon footprint of offsite disposal and contribute to the waste diversion goals of the state.”
Since its launch in 2022, the Ridgefield ASP facility has turned 43,000 pounds of food into 60 cubic yards of compost. In Newtown, where 1,220 people participate, the pilot program reduced 184 tons of solid waste in the first 21 weeks. HRRA is in the process of building a second ASP facility that should be up and running in September.
Brian D. Bartram , Manager Salisbury/Sharon Transfer Station in Lakeville and Barbara Bettigole, Chair of Transfer Station Recycling Advisory Committee. Jennifer Almquist
Brian D. Bartram is the manager of the Salisbury/Sharon Transfer Station. Along with Barbara Bettigole, Chair of the Salisbury/Sharon Transfer Station Recycling Advisory Committee, they are the driving force behind the successful Salisbury/Sharon Food Waste Collection program. Bettigole has long been an advocate for composting, especially bringing programs into schools for children to learn about composting and food waste.
According to Bettigole, getting the word out to the public, encouraging participation is key. They have created numerous information “sandwich” boards that are placed at community gathering spots. She believes “most people are curious and want to the right thing.”
Bartram manages the $5 million state-of-the-art facility where residents with transfer passes receive a countertop compost bin and a 6-gallon storage/transportation bin. Accepted items include fruit and vegetables, produce and deli items, meat and poultry (including bones), fish and shellfish (Including shells), dairy, bread and pasta, rice and grains, eggshells, nuts and seeds, leftovers, coffee grounds, cut flowers, corks, tea bags, paper towels and napkins. There is a high green metal fence surrounding the facility and, as a result, Bartram said, “we have only had one bear!” Clients must provide their own compostable bags. Lakeville resident Jen Hazard dropped her very neat, approved bag in the provided bin and expressed enthusiasm for the program.
The Salisbury/Sharon pilot program, started in 2021, now serves 400 households. Between 2021 and 2022, it diverted 18.5 tons of food scraps.
Bettigole and Bartram believe Connecticut needs a regional recycling coordinator like Massachusetts has. With the limited number of local facilities, limited route density, and transportation distances, the costs remain high. Without funding approval from the Connecticut legislature, area towns are left to their own devices seeking a combination of grants, tax dollars, and outside fundraising. Bartram just notified the community that as of Jan. 1, 2025, all organizations that generate 26 or more tons of food scraps, such as schools, restaurants, supermarkets, resorts, and hospitals, will be required by CT Public Act 23-170 to separate and recycle all food scraps at an authorized organic material composting facility.
Other Northwest Corner towns have taken different approaches to achieve composting programs. The Lakeville Journal polled municipal leaders for comment.
Kent First Selectman Marty Lindenmayer responded, “Currently Kent has a composting agreement with the Housatonic Resource Recovery Authority to collect our organic food waste and bring it to a composting site in New Milford. Kent does not have the capacity to develop a composting capability, due in part to the small amount of compost material the Town collects because this year we are conducting a pilot program for collecting food waste, so it is voluntary and not mandatory.”
Jay Hubelbank, Selectman from Washington answered, “At this time we are collecting food waste from residents at our Transfer Station. We have the food waste picked up and delivered to a company in New Milford who composts it. We pay for the transportation and the weight of the load. Last year we collected 7.5 tons”
Greg LaCava, First Selectman in Warren stated, “Warren has had a composting program in effect for 3 years now, instituted when I took office. Warren doesn’t have a transfer station, therefore we allocated bins for residents to utilize. Bins have been strategically located at Town Hall and are bear proof. Residents can access these bins 24/7. We sought no federal funding — completely instituted and managed locally.”
LaCava stated the yearly environmental impact of the program resulted in 3,111 pounds of CO2 saved, and 3,547 miles of driving avoided.
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