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A rare look inside Connecticut’s Colonial-era homes
Natalia Zukerman
Jun 17, 2026
The Hollister House, aka Whitbeck Estate, is believed to have been built circa 1780.
Provided
For anyone who has ever stopped to admire an old house and wonder what it looks like inside, HisTOURy’s Colonial Home Tour on June 20 offers a rare opportunity.
The four-hour guided tour will take participants inside four private colonial-era homes in Salisbury and Falls Village while highlighting another 20 historic properties along the route. Presented as part of HisTOURy’s series marking America’s 250th anniversary, the tour explores the architecture and history of northwestern Connecticut’s colonial settlement period.
Allison Casazza, HisTOURy’s tour research and production manager, said selecting homes involves a combination of research and experience.
“We have really well-trained eyes to say, ‘I think this would be a good house,’” she said. “And then we approach the homeowners and take it from there.”
Interior stops include the Samuel Robbins House, considered one of Falls Village’s finest examples of Federal-style architecture, and an 18th-century home once occupied by the sister of Noah Webster. The homes featured on the tour represent several architectural traditions from the colonial era, including vernacular farmhouses, Cape Cod houses and Federal-style dwellings.
“There’s a lot of symmetry in colonial architecture,” Casazza said. “The homes are much simpler in terms of how much ornamentation you can expect on them.”
Many of the architectural forms brought by settlers from England and Holland evolved in response to local conditions, she explained.
“They were bringing the styles that they knew,” Casazza said, “and then adapting them to local needs based on available materials and the harsher climate of the Northeast.”
Founded by preservationist Georgette Blau, HisTOURy focuses on cultural heritage tourism and historic preservation. The tours combine architectural history, local history and discussions about preservation with the opportunity to visit buildings that are rarely open to the public.
“What we do would fall into the category of cultural heritage tourism,” Casazza said. “We’re talking about these historic things with the purpose of promoting how much people understand them, how much people appreciate them, and hopefully planting the seeds to keep them thinking about preserving these places.”
The homeowners themselves are often part of the experience. Casazza said many participate simply because they enjoy sharing the homes they have restored and maintained.
“They’re all wonderful people that are just excited about living in a historic home,” she said. “They love it so much that they want to show it to a bunch of strangers.”
When homeowners are present, visitors hear firsthand about restoration projects, maintenance challenges and daily life in centuries-old houses.
“It means a lot to hear from them,” Casazza said.
The Colonial Home Tour runs from 2 to 6 p.m. on June 20. Information and tickets are available at histoury.org
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Local garden centers spotlight keystone plants
Dee Salomon
Jun 17, 2026
Eric Mendelson, owner of Salisbury Garden Center, stands with a selection of keystone native plants now available through a partnership with Homegrown National Park.
Michelle Alfandari
The Ungardener from May 13 was about a specific group of native plants called keystone plants. These are the ecosystem workhorses of our environment; they are essential to the survival of many animals that rely on them for food. Nutrition in this case includes, but goes beyond, nuts and pollen. It is the leaves of keystone native plants that make them superheroes. These leaves are essential to the survival of butterfly and moth caterpillars that, in their larval state, will eat only the leaves of very specific native plants.
And in this case, eating leaves is a good thing because caterpillars are relied upon by birds to feed their hatchlings. A single baby bird will be fed approximately 3,000 caterpillars from hatching to fledging; for most species, caterpillars are the sole source of food until they leave the nest. As native plants decrease, which they rapidly are, so do the numbers of caterpillars that rely on them. And as caterpillars decrease, so do the numbers of birds that rely on them.
Planting keystone species goes a long way toward restoring food webs: a serviceberry, or shadblow tree, supports 119 caterpillar species, pussy willow supports more than 400 and oak supports more than 500. While these particular plants are not hard to find in nurseries, other keystone plants, such as highbush blueberry and smooth blue aster, can be difficult to find at retail. Nurseries and garden centers tend to favor showier plants with greater shelf presence.
I dwell on the topic of keystone plants because Homegrown National Park, the organization co-founded by scientist and author Doug Tallamy, whose research on caterpillars led to our understanding of native plants’ role in food webs, and Sharon resident Michelle Alfandari, is partnering with three garden centers in the Northwest Corner to specifically promote Tallamy-designated keystone plants. There it is — a solution, and a local one at that!
Ward’s Garden Center in Great Barrington, Salisbury Garden Center and Paley’s in Amenia are now carrying ample inventory of beautiful keystone trees, shrubs and flowering plants in addition to the native plants they regularly stock.
“Every year we have seen an increase in customers asking for and buying native plants, so this partnership with Homegrown National Park is a great extension of the demand we are already seeing,” said Eva Ward of Ward’s Garden Center.
When you arrive at one of these garden centers — and I hope you will go this week — look for the “Homegrown National Park Native Plant Center” banner. Individual plant signs help inform customers about each keystone plant: what it looks like in bloom, its best growing conditions and why it is critical to butterflies, birds and other wildlife, including humans.
At Paley’s, owner Sarah Coon finds the signage a big step forward.
“Our customers and staff can now easily identify the native plants that will thrive in their gardens,” she said.
QR codes can be scanned for more information about each plant and to get on the HNP Biodiversity Map, which documents the number of people and acres being transformed through native plantings. The map currently records nearly 50,000 people committing more than 170,000 acres to native planting.
For Homegrown National Park, this program is a pilot it would like to expand nationally.
“A core objective of HNP is to make it easier for people to get started and making it easy to shop for productive native trees, shrubs and perennials does just that,” said Alfandari. “The leaders of these garden centers are visionary catalysts for positive change. They are passionate about making a difference and spreading the facts about native plants to their customers.”
For more information, visit homegrownnationalpark.org
Dee Salomon ungardens in Litchfield County.
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Books & Blooms returns with gardens, poetry and a summer evening party
Natalia Zukerman
Jun 17, 2026
A Cornwall garden featured on the Books & Blooms self-guided tour.
Provided
One of Cornwall’s most anticipated summer traditions returns June 20 and 21 when the Cornwall Library presents the 11th annual Books & Blooms, a two-day celebration of gardens, literature and community.
Part garden tour, part literary event and part neighborhood gathering, Books & Blooms begins Friday evening with a talk by acclaimed editor, poet and author Jonathan Galassi at Cornwall Town Hall. Galassi, former president and publisher of Farrar, Straus and Giroux and one of the most influential figures in American publishing, will speak on “Writing about Place and Living with a Garden.”
“Friday evening is fun because you start out listening to a learned and sometimes humorous take on your passion — or your partner’s passion — gardening,” said event organizer Kirk Van Tassel. “Then you proceed to the cocktail party on a beautiful evening, talking to friends old and new, including the speaker.”
Galassi is the author of four poetry collections, including his latest, “The Vineyard,” and has translated the works of Italian literary giants Giacomo Leopardi, Primo Levi and Nobel Prize winner Eugenio Montale. His poems have appeared in publications including The New Yorker, The Nation and The Threepenny Review.
Following the presentation, guests can walk next door to the Cornwall Library for a cocktail reception featuring live music by the Crownback Funk Trio, whose performances blend funk, blues and jazz.
The festivities continue Saturday with self-guided tours of four private Cornwall gardens, three of them appearing on the tour for the first time.
The featured landscapes range from exuberant village plantings and a traditional country garden that blends seamlessly into its surroundings to a landscape designed for a postmodernist icon and a contemporary ravine garden marked by dramatic sculptural elements.
“Every year the committee strives to find gardens that haven’t been on the tour before,” Van Tassel said. “This year three of the four are new, so you get that sense of discovery.”
Part of the appeal, he said, is simply spending a summer day exploring Cornwall itself.
“Cornwall is a beautiful place in which to walk and drive around,” Van Tassel said. “You’ve got farmland, rolling hills and quiet country roads.”
The gardens also offer visitors a chance to learn from passionate gardeners and see a wide variety of approaches to landscape design.
“The four gardens on the tour are tended by people who love gardening and know a lot about it,” Van Tassel said. “The gardens are beautifully kept and the grounds are often wonderful.”
Books & Blooms serves as a benefit for the Cornwall Library, which has hosted the event for more than a decade. For tickets and information, visit the cornwalllibrary.org or call (860)672-6874
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'Swingtime Canteen'
Millerton News
Jun 17, 2026
Swingtime Canteen cast in rehearsal. Left to right, Lucy Rhoades (“Katie”), Claire Marie Spencer (“Topeka”), Michelle Lemon (“Lilly”), Margaret Dudasik (“Marian”), and Sarah Beth Palmer (“Jo”)
Ellie McKissick
The Sharon Playhouse opens its 2026 MainStage season June 19, with “Swingtime Canteen,” a rousing celebration of the songs, spirit and resilience of WWII. Created by Linda Thorsen Bond, William Repicci and Charles Busch, the production features popular hit songs from the 1940’s and is directed by Playhouse Artistic Director Carl Andress, with choreography by Krystyna Resavy and music direction by Eric Thomas Johnson. Runs through July 5. Tickets at sharonplayhouse.org
Legal Notices - June 18, 2026
Millerton News
Jun 17, 2026
Legal Notice
Notice of Formation of Kaits Kleaning LLC. Art. Of Org. filed with SSNY on 05-22-2026. Office Lo-cation: Dutchess county. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 24 Attlebury Hill Road, Standfordville NY 12581.
06-04-26
06-11-26
06-18-26
06-25-26
07-02-26
07-09-26
NOTICE OF COMPLETION
OF FINAL ASSESSMENT ROLL
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE FINAL ASSESSMENT ROLL FOR THE TOWN OF AMENIA, COUNTY OF DUTCHESS, FOR THE YEAR 2026, HAS BEEN COMPLETED BY THE UNDERSIGNED ASSESSOR, AND A CERTIFIED COPY IS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE TOWN CLERK OF AMENIA, 4988 ROUTE 22, AMENIA, NY, ON THE FIRST DAY OF JULY, 2026, WHERE THE SAME WILL REMAIN OPEN FOR PUBLIC INSPECTION. A COPY OF SUCH WILL BE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT AMENIANY.GOV
DATED THIS 1ST DAY OF JULY, 2026.
DONNA DIPIPPO ASSESSOR
TOWN OF AMENIA
845-373-8118 x 104
06-18-26
06-25-26
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Court tests meaning of equal justice
Kathy Herald-Marlowe
Jun 16, 2026
“We want a Supreme Court which will do justice under the constitution – not over it. In our courts we want a government of laws, not of men.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt
John Roberts was nominated to replace Sandra Day O’Connor as a justice on the Supreme Court in July 2005 – three days later Rehnquist died and Roberts was nominated for Chief Justice as his replacement. The most vocal Democratic resister to Roberts’ confirmation was the new Senator Barack Obama who contested that though Roberts would be unquestionably qualified for 95 % of Supreme Court cases, he would be lacking for 5% of cases requiring depth and width of empathy – Roberts was for the strong over the weak. Roberts was confirmed 72 – 22. Four years later, January 20, 2009, Roberts bungled the Presidential oath of office at Obama’s inauguration, the oath was redone on January 21. Both men had been president of the Harvard Law Review – Roberts in 1978 and Obama in 1990.
In 2005 the Supreme Court enjoyed approval ratings over 60% - comfortable, respectable. In 2026, their approval rating is 42%, disapproval 57% - nearly a full reversal. The Court has lost the trust of a majority of the nation, 69% are in favor of term limits for Justices versus lifetime appointments. The stability of the law is in question. Many cases have been overturned, some cases have been decided with extraordinary outcomes for money in elections, for immunity from prosecution for the executive.
In 2010, the Supreme Court announced a decision, so contentious that it had to be re-argued, that overturned bans on corporate independent expenditures to favor unlimited corporate expenditures in elections. In 2016, total expenditures on Presidential and Congressional elections was up from $7 billion in 2008 to $18.3 billion boosted by super PACS and dark money whose donors were non-disclosed. Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission has transformed campaigns and impacted election outcomes. The Roberts Court ruled 5-4 with Roberts writing the opinion.
Voting rights have been struck down by three Supreme Court cases: Shelby County v. Holder (2013), Students for Fair Admissions v Harvard (2023) and Louisiana v. Callais (2026). The first decision eliminated requirements that certain states with histories of discrimination obtain federal preclearance before changing their voting laws. The Harvard case bans Affirmative Action for admissions. The final Louisiana decision limits the Voting Rights Act.
Roberts in his opinion in 2013 wrote: “The conditions that originally justified these measures no longer characterize voting in the covered jurisdictions.” The Roberts Court ruled 5-4 then 6-3.
Dobbs V Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned Roe v Wade reaffirmed by the Supreme Court on four occasions. The Roberts Court ruled 6-3 with a scathing majority opinion written, leaked by Samuel Alito. Abortion is favored by 80% of Americans.
The nation continues to reel as the Supreme Court ruled that all former presidents possess absolute immunity for their core constitutional powers and immune from all official acts. The decision is broadly opposed as it undermines the principle that no one is above the law. The Roberts Court ruled 6-3 with the majority opinion written by Roberts.
Supreme Court overturned decisions have also impacted guns as well as the separation of church and state. An unusually high quantity of case have resulted in “shadow docket” findings which have no vote by the Justices, no explanation, no opinion. Additionally, the Supreme Court has overturned a surprising number of lower courts decisions in favor of the current administration.
The conclusion of the 2025-2026 Supreme Court season is upon us. Expected is another major decision regarding birth right citizenship now guaranteed in Section 1 of the 14th Amendment. Unexpected may be the unfurling of a gigantic Trump poster on the Supreme Court’s 92-foot “greek-temple” on First Avenue in DC. The Trump poster currently on the DOJ is 88 feet long – so a duplicate fits here even though such a Trump image would cover the west facade’s declaration of“ Equal justice under law.” Not all would be bothered or even notice.
“Members of the Supreme Court have lifetime tenure because they’re not suppose to do politics.”
Ben Sasse
Kathy Herald-Marlowe lives in Sharon.
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