A new resident trooper

SALISBURY — The Board of Selectmen welcomed the new resident state trooper, Chris Sorrell, at the regular monthly meeting Oct. 3.Sorrell gave the selectmen a quick sketch of his resume — 12 years on the force, with a stint in the Western District Major Crimes unit.He said he planned to do some patrolling on a bicycle. First Selectman Curtis Rand reported to the board that he has asked department heads in town to buy American-made goods when possible.“I think it’s a small effort by our town to help support the American economy.”Rand said he was inspired when he visited a store in search of a new shovel and couldn’t find a domestically made product.Rand also reported that other members of the Northwestern Connecticut Council of Governments were not enthusiastic about a proposal to establish a regional council to hear ethics complaints. The council is made up of first selectmen from nine Litchfield County towns, including the six towns of the Region One School District.Selectman Jim Dresser said such complaints are difficult to administer within a town, and the regional council would allow impartial individuals from other towns to hear cases.Asked how ethics complaints are currently handled, Rand said they are handled internally in cases that involve town employees. And in the case of elected officials, it’s been left to the voters, Dresser added.“Periodically people recuse themselves from things,” Rand said, noting that all three selectmen had done so in recent years.Rand said work at Town Hall, on windows and the cupola (see photos, Page A14), was progressing on schedule, and made a special note of thanking Rick McCue for providing the specifications for the bidders without charge.“He did not bid on the project; he didn’t intend to.”

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Fresh perspectives in Norfolk Library film series

Diego Ongaro

Photo submitted

Parisian filmmaker Diego Ongaro, who has been living in Norfolk for the past 20 years, has composed a collection of films for viewing based on his unique taste.

The series, titled “Visions of Europe,” began over the winter at the Norfolk Library with a focus on under-the-radar contemporary films with unique voices, highlighting the creative richness and vitality of the European film landscape.

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New ground to cover and plenty of groundcover

Young native pachysandra from Lindera Nursery shows a variety of color and delicate flowers.

Dee Salomon

It is still too early to sow seeds outside, except for peas, both the edible and floral kind. I have transplanted a few shrubs and a dogwood tree that was root pruned in the fall. I have also moved a few hellebores that seeded in the near woods back into their garden beds near the house; they seem not to mind the few frosty mornings we have recently had. In years past I would have been cleaning up the plant beds but I now know better and will wait at least six weeks more. I have instead found the most perfect time-consuming activity for early spring: teasing out Vinca minor, also known as periwinkle and myrtle, from the ground in places it was never meant to be.

Planting the stuff in the first place is my biggest ever garden regret. It was recommended to me as a groundcover that would hold together a hillside, bare after a removal of invasive plants save for a dozen or so trees. And here we are, twelve years later; there is vinca everywhere. It blankets the hillside and has crept over the top into the woods. It has made its way left and right. I am convinced that vinca is the plastic of the plant world. The stuff won’t die. (The name Vinca comes from the Latin ‘vincire’ which means ‘to bind or fetter.’) Last year I pulled a bunch and left it strewn on the roof of the root cellar for 6 months and the leaves were still green.

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Matza Lasagne by 'The Cook and the Rabbi'

Culinary craftsmanship intersects with spiritual insights in the wonderfully collaborative book, “The Cook and the Rabbi.” On April 14 at Oblong Books in Rhinebeck (6422 Montgomery Street), the cook, Susan Simon, and the rabbi, Zoe B. Zak, will lead a conversation about food, tradition, holidays, resilience and what to cook this Passover.

Passover, marked by the traditional seder meal, holds profound significance within Jewish culture and for many carries extra meaning this year at a time of great conflict. The word seder, meaning “order” in Hebrew, unfolds in a 15-step progression intertwining prayers, blessings, stories, and songs that narrate the ancient saga of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery. It’s a narrative that has endured for over two millennia, evolving with time yet retaining its essence, a theme echoed beautifully in “The Cook and the Rabbi.”

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Housy baseball drops 3-2 to Northwestern

Freshman pitcher Wyatt Bayer threw three strikeouts when HVRHS played Northwestern April 9.

Riley Klein

WINSTED — A back-and-forth baseball game between Housatonic Valley Regional High School and Northwestern Regional High School ended 3-2 in favor of Northwestern on Tuesday, April 9.

The Highlanders played a disciplined defensive game and kept errors to a minimum. Wyatt Bayer pitched a strong six innings for HVRHS, but the Mountaineers fell behind late and were unable to come back in the seventh.

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