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Billy Sheil
A team of Salisbury Winter Sports Association (SWSA) members flew to Anchorage, Alaska, recently to compete, volunteer, support and officiate at the 2024 Junior Nationals (JN) ski jumping tournament.
The competitor was Islay Sheil, a member of Team SWSA who jumped in the U16 division, earning a bronze medal in the team event with teammate Caroline Chor from the Ford Sayre club in New Hampshire.
Islay earned a place on the 2024 Eastern JN team during Jumpfest’s Eastern U.S. ski jumping championships in Salisbury.
SWSA directors Matt Bannerman and Serena Taylor volunteered as markers, and SWSA President Ken Barker served as assistant technical delegate. Carley Bannerman, another SWSA jumper, and Islay’s parents, Billy and Kristin Sheil, filled the rolls of “jumper support.”
The Eastern division team enjoyed even more success by the competition’s end. The U20 and U16 boys division swept the podium against competitors from the four other divisions. This was a first for any division in the competition’s history.
The JN, which is the premier event for jumpers 20 years old and under, marks the official end of the ski jumping calendar, and the warming temperatures have brought SWSA’s training sessions to a close for the season.
To learn more about SWSA, visit jumpfest.org
Islay, center, flanked by fellow Junior National ski jumping competitors.Billy Sheil
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Mountaineers get set for spring
Mar 13, 2024
Riley Klein
FALLS VILLAGE — Spring sports are right around the corner.
Housatonic Valley Regional High School (HVRHS) is set to field teams in five different sports for the 2024 season: baseball, lacrosse (girls), softball, tennis (boys and girls), and track and field (boys and girls).
Spring competition will begin with varsity softball hosting H.C. Wilcox Technical High School Saturday, March 30, at 10 a.m. Pete Foley will become head coach this season with Kaleigh Selino moving to the role of assistant coach.
HVRHS softball will be a team to watch this season after a generational state playoff run last year led it to the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) quarterfinal game for the first time since 1990. Just two seniors graduated from last year’s team, leaving a 2024 roster of determined athletes with considerable postseason experience.
Tennis will retake the court Monday, April 1, for opening matches against Northwestern High School with service beginning at 3:45 p.m. The boys will be at home and the girls will be away. Last season, the boys finished with a record of 6-8 and the girls ended at 8-7. The boys are coached by Jeff Tripp and the girls are coached by Bill Markey.
Girls lacrosse will begin the 2024 season April 1 at home against Haddam-Killingworth High School. The game is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. Girls lacrosse graduated seven seniors last year, leaving head coach Laura Bushey a fresh lineup for this spring.
HVRHS baseball, led by head coach Darryl Morhardt, will look to improve on a tough season last year. A roster full of promising young talent gives reason for optimism in the season to come, including freshman Wyatt Bayer who brought some serious heat while pitching for Housatonic’s summer league team in 2023. Opening day baseball will be Tuesday, April 2, at 3:45 p.m. with an away game at Northwestern High School.
Track and field athletes will be coached by Alan Lovejoy. Last season, five competitors qualified for the CIAC championships: Kyle McCarron, Ava Segalla, Harper Howe, Sara Huber and Mia Dodge.
All five will return for the 2024 season, which will begin on the road with a meet against Wamogo High School and Nonnewaug High School. The meet is scheduled to take place Tuesday, April 23, at Plumb Hill Track in Litchfield beginning at 4 p.m.
Home games for all spring sports will be played on the fields and courts behind HVRHS. For full schedules, visit ciacsports.com.
Haley Leonard will return to HVRHS softball as a senior captain this spring.Riley Klein
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KENT — Following a presentation by the Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy (NCLC), the Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to support a grant application by the NCLC at its regular meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 28.
Representing the NCLC was Maria Grace, director of stewardship for the Kent-based organization. She sought a letter of support from the town to be submitted with an application for a Trails Grant, available through the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
Three nature preserves are located in Kent, Grace reported, with 34 total nature preserves found in seven towns in the Northwest Corner.
The purpose of the grant will be to devise a plan for long-term sustainability and to assess improvements that might include reaching out to a wider range of potential trail-users such as mountain bikers or equestrian groups.
“We want to create a replicable planning document to help other groups,” Grace said, adding that expressions of community support from member towns are important.
Towns that have provided letters so far include New Milford, Sherman, Sharon, Litchfield and Torrington. In addition, the Falls Village Land Trust has signed a letter.
“We’re hoping the plans to be developed will lead to implementation,” Grace said.
First Selectman Marty Lindenmayer said, “It’s needed; it’s a great opportunity.”
Internet expansion
Beginning what will be a long process that could extend broadband access to all residences and businesses in the town, a broadband subcommittee is coming together, reporting to the Board of Selectmen.
The selectmen approved an appropriation to the committee of up to $800, beginning the process of surveying the town’s residents with a questionnaire to measure their interest and need for stronger connectivity and adequate internet access.
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New business brings unique classic car experience
Mar 13, 2024
Lynn Mellis Worthington
KENT – Area residents seeking to find custom-built classic cars won’t have to leave the town’s borders, thanks to a new business, MOTORIOT, that opened in February on Bridge Street.
For co-founder Jason Doornick, the opportunity to locate a showroom in Kent is coming home. He spent his formative years from age 11 to 17 living here, and his mom still lives in North Kent.
“We chose Kent because it was a familiar territory and the demographic I felt was very fitting for the kind of business I wanted to run,” Doornick said Feb. 17. “I knew that my personality as being a disruptor would kind of shake things up in Kent, which I feel like it needed.”
He further explained that he views Kent as a “conformist town,” and he wants to add a little bit of spice to the community.
“I think there are more opportunities here that people would love to have,” Doornick said, explaining he thinks services such as a car wash in town and a 24-hour automotive help service are future options he’d like to explore, as well as free repairs for single parents who can’t afford car repairs.
“So, when I say ‘disruptor,’ I want people to have a reaction to our business instead of just being like, ‘Oh, it’s another car place,’ ” he said.
Doornick said his goal is for people to have an individualized experience that serves customers’ needs and ultimately creates a culture.
The business is located at 21 Bridge St. at the front of the building. Iron Horse Customs is still at the same address in the rear.
Walking into the showroom, a visitor sees many Land Rovers as well as other vintage vehicles.
After Doornick left Kent, he spent quite a bit of time in Europe as an adult and he observed used Land Rovers that could be purchased from $5,000 to $10,000, and being customized and sold for as much as $400,000.
He realized it was a business opportunity he could take advantage of and, for five years, he has successfully imported and transformed these vehicles.
Anyone interested in a customized original Land Rover Series from MOTORIOT can expect to spend from $30,000 to $45,000. The Land Rover Defender Series is offered from $60,000 to $140,000.
Land Rovers were Doornick’s first focus, but now the business has expanded to many other vehicles, including transforming combustion engines into electric vehicles.
MOTORIOT has one other U.S. showroom — in Stamford — and four located internationally in Spain and Ecuador, with another planned in Colombia.
“We are incredibly excited to bring MOTORIOT to Kent,” said Charles Narwold, the company’s co-founder. “This move represents a significant step in our growth and our commitment to offering our clients a unique experience in classic car restoration and customization.”
Classic cars are legally defined as 25 years old but Doornick said he personally starts the vintage clock at 30 years.
“MOTORIOT’s story is one of continued adventure and a deep appreciation for automotive heritage,” Doornick said.
The business sources vehicles from all over the world and takes care of all the important details, creating a custom design with the new owner and then implement the build.
Kent Chamber of Commerce President Phil Fox said Feb. 20 that the chamber officers are glad to have MOTORIOT join the Kent business community.
“We are thrilled to welcome MOTORIOT into the Kent community as one of our newest businesses,” Fox said. “They bring an exciting niche into our business community here with specialty custom-built vehicles, and already completed amazing vehicles for sale.”
“Specializing in Land Rover vehicles and hard-to-find custom vehicles, they add to our existing automotive mechanical repair shops and our enthusiast automotive retail shops rounding out our automotive community here,” he said.
Fox said he anticipates that the business will attract many automotive enthusiasts from neighboring towns.
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