A Class in Tolstoy To Help You Sled Through the Winter Months

The winter hasn’t been that bad yet (even though it is 2020 and one might have expected this to be the worst early winter in decades). But soon it will be very cold and snowy and we will be quarantined and the conditions will be just perfect for reading the work of Leo Tolstoy.
For anyone who is intimidated by the lengthy works of the Russian novelist (and all those complicated Russian names), help is at hand in the form of well-known American novelist Roxanna Robinson, a Cornwall, Conn., resident who has donated her time and talent during the quarantine to leading literature workshops online for the Cornwall Library.
Some of the authors and titles discussed in the Cornwall Reads Great Fiction series over the summer were Honor Moore (“Our Revolution: A Mother and Daughter at Midcentury”) and Tessa Hadley (“Bad Dreams and Other Stories”). Those were single sessions; Robinson did a deeper dive on Gustave Flaubert’s “Madame Bovary.”
Starting on Jan. 12 and continuing until March 2, Robinson will dig into Tolstoy’s tragic love story, “Anna Karenina.”
“We’ll talk about vital, electrifying Anna and her handsome and mysterious lover, Vronsky,” Robinson said. “We’ll talk about Tolstoy, who he was and what he represented in 19th-century Russia, what Russia was like at that time, what the novel was doing, how Tolstoy prefigured modernism, what his intentions were in writing the book, what its factual origins were, how his family played into it, and anything else that comes in to my head.
“It is a fabulous, moving, fast-paced novel, not at all ponderous or weighty, and it is one of the greatest novels ever written, so this is the chance for everyone who’s been meaning to do so to read it, and the chance to re-read and savor it for those who already have done so.”
Robinson, a novelist with 10 books to her credit (including “Dawson’s Fall,” which came out in 2019), is also a teacher and has taught “Anna Karenina” for nearly 15 years in the MFA Program at Hunter College in New York City.
Locally, she is a member of one of Cornwall’s oldest families, descended from the Scoville clan, who first settled in Cornwall in the 18th century.
“My great-grandfather, Samuel Scoville, married the daughter of Henry Ward Beecher. Beecher and his family — Harriet Beecher Stowe among them — lived in Litchfield,” she said.
“The Scovilles have been ministers, farmers and lawyers, and have taken care of the North Cornwall church since it was built in 1812. I live in the house my grandparents built — Samuel Scoville Jr., who was a lawyer and writer.”
Scoville’s unexpectedly amusing writing was read aloud by Robinson in the library’s Cornwall Reads Cornwall over Thanksgiving weekend.
Participation in the eight-week “Anna Karenina” class is open to everyone at no cost (donations to the library are appreciated, however). The class will meet by Zoom on Tuesdays at 4 p.m., beginning Jan. 12 and ending March 2.
The edition to get for the class is the paperback version of the acclaimed translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky (a photo of the cover is above, on this page) from Penguin Classics.
Participants should plan to read 100 pages every week — however, there is no requirement that you come to class having read the material, Robinson promises. “I hope you’ll come to the discussion anyway, so as you finally finish the book you’ll have thoughts from the class in your mind.”
To register, go to the “events/programs” page on the Cornwall Library website at www.CornwallLibrary.org.
LAKEVILLE, Conn. — Barbara Meyers DelPrete, 84, passed away Tuesday, September 30, 2025.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated Saturday, October 4, 2025, at 11:00a.m. at St. Mary’s Church, 76 Sharon Rd., Lakeville.
A complete obituary will appear in next week’s Lakeville Journal.
To offer an online condolence, please visit ryanfhct.com.
Volunteers were hard at work putting the finishing touches on the crucial creepy decorations for the Haunted Fortress of Stanford on Sunday, Sept. 28.
STANFORD — Greg Arent led a devoted team of volunteers on Sunday, Sept. 28, in a final push to prepare Stanford’s Haunted Fortress for opening day.
Final touches included cleaning the bottomless pit, scrubbing the pirate ship, raking the graveyard and dressing the dolls. By 2 p.m., about 20 volunteers had assembled to creepify the beloved local landmark.
Many of the volunteers have been coming back for years, Arent said, dedicating time and valuable skills to the town-owned haunted house that was constructed by the artist Peter Wing.
Arent has been building sets in his free time for forty years, but he started out volunteering with the Haunted Fortress in 2014 when his children wanted to get involved, he said. At that time he would help out one or two days a year. That grew into a leadership position over the course of a decade.
On Sunday, Arent was touring the decrepit grounds checking light bulbs, soundtracks and other set details to contribute to that perfect spooky ambience.
Nathan Miller
When it’s all said and done, the Fortress will be ready to welcome visitors starting on Friday, Oct. 3, with shows running from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Sundays. The Haunted Fortress is entirely staffed by volunteers, Arent said, including the actors that don costumes to scare visitors. Anybody aged 6 and up can volunteer to act in the horror show, and families often will volunteer to take over a scene.
“I love it because every scene is different every night,” Arent said. “Sure there are going to be vampires in this scene, but this family is going to do it different from these three kids from Bard, who are going to do it different from these three middle school kids.”
The sets themselves were all built from recycled material to be as creepy and decrepit as possible, Arent said. Concrete culverts adorn the sides of a bridge over a stream, stacked vertically with a cone on top to elicit a fortress’s spires. Reclaimed lumber bolted to a fence evokes a dark and scary forest blocking any escape. A rusting tractor with a steel box welded above the seat sits on a set of rails with two cars attached to it, mimicking a wrecked train with it’s inner mechanisms exposed and blowing steam on passersby.
This year the Haunted Fortress is following a haunted circus theme featuring clowns and other carnival staples alongside the classic settings of the Fortress.
The team of volunteers is dedicated and numerous, and the Stanford Highway Department lends a hand too, Arent said, but there’s always a need for skilled labor at the local attraction.
And the group appreciates all the help they can get. “Whatever you’re interested in and capable of doing,” Arent said.
The haunted pirate ship marks the spot where groups of visitors are paired with their ghastly guides for the remainder of the Haunted Fortress tour in Stanford.Nathan Miller
John King stands at the site of his would-be winery and event space, which has stalled amid the Town’s years-long zoning review
NORTH EAST — For John and Kristen King, moving to the countryside and raising their children on a vineyard was the ultimate dream. But after purchasing a 36-acre property in Millerton and trying to make their vision financially sustainable, that dream now hangs in the balance amid a years-long zoning review in a town that’s prioritizing a thorough process over expedition.
One family’s vision
In 2023, John King began touring dozens of agricultural properties on the market in the region, but kept coming back to Millerton. The deal was sealed when he drove his wife up the hill to a 36-acre parcel on Route 44/22 and Smithfield Road and the couple took in its sprawling, bucolic view.
“That was it for her,” King said with a smile. “My wife didn’t want to look at another property.”
The pair, who live in Harlem with their 3- and 4-year-old, have been coming upstate for 20 years and say they’ve always had a soft spot for Millerton. “It was always our favorite Main Street to hang out on.”
While the idea of “King’s Winery & Vineyard” began to take shape in 2023, the official process with the Town of North East began this spring when the Kings submitted a petition to amend section 180-40 of the zoning code. The change would expand “Country Inn” permissions in the A5A and R3A districts — where their property sits — to accommodate uses such as weddings and small events that could provide supplemental income to sustain the vineyard.
While existing zoning regulations in the district allow for “repurposing an existing structure” for overnight accommodations, King hoped to amend the code to allow for new structures. His ideal winery would feature 24 rooms for overnight guests and work force housing that would provide a number of local jobs.
On a tour of the property, King pointed out where grapes would be grown and where lodging might be tucked into the treeline in order to blend with the natural charm of the land.
“The goal, first and foremost, is to build a vineyard and winery,” King said. “My family would be living there so we have no interest in hosting frequent, weekly weddings,” he said, addressing rumored concerns about local traffic and noise.
King also noted his commitment to hiring locally and boosting the economy. “Everyone we’ve brought on is local — architects, engineers, excavators — because we want to be part of the community, not just some city people coming in.”
Early encouragement
When the Kings’ petition first came before the Town Board in April, it was met with cautious optimism. The Board accepted the application for review, but warned that zoning amendments could take time.
In a July meeting, Town Attorney Warren Replansky called the proposal “reasonable” and “likely to benefit the community.” He added that it was consistent with the rural character of the area. Replansky said the applicant established an escrow account to cover the town’s legal costs — a gesture of good faith that signaled cooperation.
Supervisor Chris Kennan also sounded supportive, telling King that he would attempt to move the process forward quickly and solicit necessary feedback from experts including the town’s Planning Board, the Conservation Advisory Council and Nan Stolzenburg, a zoning consultant with decades of experience.
Deferred dreams
At the September Town Board meeting, the tone had shifted and the Board backed away from the idea of treating the petition as a standalone amendment. Instead, the group agreed to address the request during the broader second phase of the town’s zoning overhaul, which will review residential and agricultural districts. This move would honor the hard work that went into the commercial review, said Kennan, and put safeguards in place for the residential and agricultural districts.
Councilwoman Meg Winkler described the winery application as “putting the cart before the horse.” Fellow Councilman Chris Mayville said the Town had “learned a lot” about how complex zoning work can be. Kennan, once optimistic, now stressed caution. “Things can sound wonderful, and this application in particular sounds like a wonderful thing, but I realize it applies to a lot of other parcels and there are reasons to spend time making sure this is what we want to do.”
The CAC raised environmental concerns, particularly about noise from outdoor events. Stolzenburg pointed to state guidance that “incidental uses” must clearly support — not overshadow — agriculture. Universal feedback recommended more careful language and new definitions to avoid future loopholes.
The shift left King disillusioned. “We’ve tried to align with everything the Town wants so there isn’t friction. And yet here we are,” he said.
While Bill Kish, a member of the Planning Board, suggested the applicant prove his agricultural commitment by planting vines before seeking broader permissions, King insists that model isn’t financially viable.
“I’ve run the numbers every which way,” he said. “Without events and additional revenue, we’ll fail in the first year. We’re at the point of deciding whether or not to pull the plug.”
The town’s perspective
For Kennan, the answer lies in process. The town has spent years — and more than 100 meetings — modernizing its commercial zoning code in response to the 2019 Comprehensive Plan. That work is nearing completion, with residential and agricultural zoning next on the docket. Kennan hopes to assemble that review team before the end of the calendar year and move forward more efficiently.
At the end of the day, the petition represents not just one project but the precedent it could set. The Board’s caution highlights the tension between supporting economic growth and protecting the character of North East.
“I appreciate Mr. King’s interest and we welcome people who want to come and start a business and invest in our town,” Kennan said. “We want to make sure it’s done in a way that keeps the nature of the town consistent with what we know.”
Corinne Kalser, MD, left, talks about the benefits of animals as therapy partners, as Renee Bouffard, LCSW, of Healing Hoofbeats of CT, on right, watches Harry Potter, a young horse at Time Out.In the background, Finnegan, lead horse at Time Out comes to see what’s going on.
“Horses and other livestock maintain their wild instincts. They sense what we are feeling and that makes them amazing therapy partners.”
— Renee Bouffard, LCSW
In 2008, Time Out Foundation became an official rescue and therapeutic riding facility, fulfilling a lifelong dream of founder, Corinne Kalser, M.D.With her husband, David McArthur, LCSW, and the rest of their staff, they offer a haven for children and adults through gentle, relaxed therapies centered around animals — rescued horses, dogs, cats, and goats — on their 35-acre farm in Lakeville.
To ensure the foundation continues, Kalser is partnering with Healing Hoofbeats of CT, an organization with a similar philosophy of care.
“This is a way to keep it going after retiring,” said Kalser. Renee Bouffard, LCSW, founder of Healing Hoofbeats, along with Nikki Hedden, LMSW, and Rebecca Caruso, LCSW, will begin offering therapy at Time Out beginning Oct. 13. Based in Bethlehem, Connecticut, the Healing Hoofbeats team will bring their animal-assisted therapy services to Lakeville — and, as Kalser noted, “takes most insurances.”
Bouffard explained the process: “At the initial meeting, we introduce clients to all the animals with the intention of choosing who their therapy partner will be. This will be their partner for the duration of the therapy.”
“Through that process of building a relationship, issues come out — depression, anxiety, trauma. The therapist can address and can help solve them,” she added.
“Horses and other livestock maintain their wild instincts. They sense what we are feeling and that makes them amazing therapy partners.”
Relationships are built through groundwork and learning about your therapy partner.
“My oldest client is 89.We treat all ages — children, adults, families, couples, veterans,” Bouffard said.
For more information or to schedule an appointment at Time Out with the Healing Hoofbeats team, visit healinghoofbeatsofct.org or call 203-244-8411.