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St. Johns Ledges along the Appalachian Trail in Kent, where a 30-year-old Great Barrington man died Thursday, Sept. 10, after falling approximately 40 feet while rock climbing.
Photo by Graham Corrigan
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s Environmental Conservation Police responded to the area at about 2:30 p.m. off River Road and announced Salmon’s death later that day.
Kent Volunteer Fire Department Chief Tim Sneller, who was among the first responders on the scene, said Salmon was part of a group of about 12 climbers participating in a climbing class. He was believed to be one of the instructors.
“I think everyone was in shock from that [climbing] group,” Sneller said. “They were huddled up and debriefing, and they were definitely shocked.”
The ledges are less than a mile from the parking area, with the base of the climbing area about a seven-minute hike from where emergency vehicles could park, Sneller said.
Approximately two dozen first responders were at the scene, including 12 to 14 who entered the woods. Responders came from Kent, Warren, Gaylordsville and Sherman, with an ambulance crew and paramedic responding from New Milford.
Sneller said he could not recall another death or serious injury at the ledges and that emergency calls from the area are uncommon.
Salmon was transported to New Milford Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The circumstances of the fall remain under investigation.
Emergency responders gather near St. Johns Ledges in Kent on Thursday, Sept. 10, after a 30-year-old rock climber fell to his death.Photo by Graham Corrigan
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Principal Audrey Feliciano led the morning session on the first day of school at Webutuck Elementary School on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
Photo by Leila Hawken
“It’s a starting point to get kids excited about learning,” Feliciano said. “They have their backpacks, and they are ready to learn.”
Feliciano said she plans to greet students outside the school each morning.
“I want to be the first person they see,” she said.
Supporting regular attendance will be a focus during the coming year, Feliciano said. She also pointed to the school’s early-childhood offerings, which include two pre-K3 classes.
“Webutuck was the first public school in Dutchess County to start a pre-K3 early learning program,” Feliciano said, noting that the program functions as an extension of parental teaching.
Webutuck started the pre-K3 program in 2025. A second pre-K3 class was added for the 2026-27 school year.
The school holds workshops throughout the year to help parents and educators work together. She said that collaboration also helps the school better understand and respond to each student’s educational needs.
Originally from the Bronx, Feliciano has lived in the region for 25 years. She most recently spent six years as a special education administrator and assistant principal at Pawling Elementary School.
She earned a bachelor’s degree from Mercy College and a master’s degree in education with a specialization in special education. She later earned her administrative certification from Baruch College.
Feliciano also worked in New York City earlier in her career.
“My special education experience in New York City has helped me understand child development and how children learn and thrive,” she said, adding that her time there broadened her perspective by exposing her to a tapestry of cultures, languages, and complex learning environments.
Feliciano lives in LaGrange and has four children and three grandchildren.
The early September sun greeted students as they stepped off their buses at Webutuck Elementary School for the first day of classes Tuesday, Sept. 8.Photo by Leila Hawken
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