100 years ago — July 1923
SALISBURY — E.R. Smith has sold his garage to R.G. Marston. It is understood that Mr. Smith and family expect to go to California later to make their home.
Fire completely destroyed the barn at J. Wisoski’s place at Lincoln City on Friday afternoon. It is thought the blaze was started by spontaneous combustion caused by hay not thoroughly cured before being stored in the building. The barn and its contents proved a total loss as there was no insurance on them.
For some reason the fire siren went wrong last week and at times emitted all kinds of sounds from a growl to a moan. It is thought there was some trouble with the wires or switches and efforts have been made to locate the trouble.
Over a hundred fight fans got the news of the Willard-Firpo battle on Thursday night over Merrill Fenn’s radio. Mr. Fenn’s yard was full of autos and his lawn full of fans, and while there was some static the radio worked well and was greatly enjoyed by all.
50 years ago — July 1973
The Lakeville Journal has won the 1973 Golden Quill Award for the best editorial among 1500 submitted to the International Conference of Weekly Newspaper Editors. The editorial, “A Boy’s Toes,” appeared in the issue of March 15, 1973, and was written by Editor-Publisher Robert H. Estabrook. It accompanied a news story by Barbara Buccino and concerned the plight of a northwest Connecticut youth who nearly lost three toes to frostbite because of a lapse in state supervision. Released from a state training institution, he was living in an unheated shed after arrangements for him to attend school elsewhere had fallen through.
A crowd of almost 1500 campers, parents and staff members attending a Visitor’s Day program at Camp Sloane on July 15 were excited over the announcement by Theron C. Hoyt of Pleasantville, president of the Camp Sloane YMCA board of directors, that a capital funds drive is planned for $127,250 to construct a swimming pool. The T-shaped pool will measure 83 by 45 feet in one direction and 75 by 35 feet in the other and will vary in depth to permit instruction and safe recreational swimming for all ages.
Exposed chestnut post and beam construction of a corner of the Abel Lee house on the Millerton Road shows the careful and sturdy building practices of the late 1700s. The house, now being readied for aluminum siding, was for a period the home of Daniel Cook and thought to also be the home of a Mr. Eldridge, a layman sympathetic toward Methodism. Freeborn Garrettson, an early Methodist circuit rider from New York, conducted services here in June, 1789. That date, if correct, would possibly make Lakeville the oldest continuous congregation in New England.
25 years ago — July 1998
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said Tuesday his office is currently reviewing the issue of former Sharon Hospital President James Sok’s severance agreement to determine whether an investigation would be justified. Blumenthal conceded he has received “various calls, complaints and correspondences about this matter. We are reviewing them to determine what our authority is and whether further action is warranted.”
Pat Pallone said he has been approached by Brooks Drug every year for the past eight years. But he had no reason to sell the Canaan Pharmacy that he has put so much of himself into for the past 18 years. This year, however, he and his wife Martha decided to give it serious consideration. For the past year, Mr. Pallone has been fighting an aggressive form of myeloma. A stem cell transplant earlier this year was successful and his doctors believe he has gone into remission. He said he didn’t want to wait until someone else had to make the decision for him. The sale of the store will be finalized July 28.
These items were taken from The Lakeville Journal archives at Salisbury’s Scoville Memorial Library, keeping the original wording intact as possible.
"They had this in mind from last year," girls varsity head coach Les Funk of Pine Plains said. Funk said the young team wanted the sectional title and "never gave up," until they won it Wednesday, March 5, at Mount Saint Mary College.Photo by Nathan Miller
Naveah Rennie, no 34 of Pine Plains, was the Bombers' dominant scorer, racking up 20 points by the end of the matchup against S.S. Seward Institute during the Section IX Class C finals at Mount Saint Mary College on Wednesday, March 5.Photo by Nathan Miller
Lent: Time to consider social gospel movement
We are entering the annual Christian season of Lent this week.With its 40 days of contemplation and “little Easter” Sundays, it is a time to remember the healing ministry and the sacrifice of Jesus.During this season, we are invited to think deeply about our role as agents of grace and love in our hurting world.
There is a long history of making sacrifices and commitments for Lent, modeling our discipleship and hopes for a more heavenly world. It is through this lens that I invite you to join us in considering what gifts and services the community needs that we can commit to bringing forth in the weeks leading up to Easter.While many lean into solitary introspection during Lent, it may be particularly advantageous to use our meditations and sacrifices for the greater good this year.
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, advised his followers centuries ago that “The gospel of Christ knows of no religion, but social; no holiness but social holiness. Faith working by love is the length and depth and breadth and height of Christian perfection.”These words are connected to the firm belief of Wesley that a Methodist was fundamentally one who loved God with all their heart, mind, strength, and soul, along with loving one’s neighbor as oneself.He believed that being in love with God naturally also required loving other people, as every person was a beloved soul coming from the same source of life that we are.
Consequently, Wesley stood against slavery long before it was a popular view, prioritized caring for those who were poor and imprisoned, and made a point to do good to as many as he could for as long as he was physically able.
Indeed, the Methodists are not the only Christians who believe such things.These thoughts are primary messages of the Christian faith.In more recent history, we can note that during the time of the Golden Age, at the end of the late 19th century, the Christians mobilized to counteract the abject poverty, child labor, dangerous working conditions, and lack of education of the time.Famous theologians such as Washington Gladden, Walter Rauschenbusch, and W.E.B. DuBois began the Social Gospel movement, enacting with new verve the passion of Christ that empowers the community toward building the Kingdom of God.As Christians, they believed in uplifting the downtrodden and creating a community where all had a chance to thrive.Child labor laws were enacted, better working conditions were secured, Sunday School helped provide education, settlement houses were created, and the Salvation Army was born.
The social gospel movement continued in another wave of reforms and empowerment through the Civil Rights era.Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his intellect, energy, and life to help secure the reforms that enabled persons of color to vote, go to non-segregated schools, and have the right to share public spaces without discrimination.Like Christ, he paid the ultimate price for his prophetic vision.However, his impact on our society was formidable, lasting far beyond his short lifetime.
As Christians, it is very clear what to do in times of hardship, crisis, or challenge.Throughout the centuries, our call has been to help heal the world, doing whatever we can to uplift and transform loneliness into community, reminding each one how precious they are and how important it is to unite for the sake of the whole.Individually, the challenges can be overwhelming, even too much to bear.Collectively, we can do all things through the One who strengthens us.As they say, “We have the receipts!” We can do it again.
This Lent, let us give up our pessimism and fear, replacing it with a commitment to community and hope.Yes, things can seem dreadful, but our souls are not served by allowing ourselves to descend into the dark.We are keepers of the light.Let us do all within our power to create brightness so that its warmth may strengthen all as we live into the Social Gospel movement for our time.Chin up, friends, we can do this.We simply must be willing to get serious about doing it together.
Rev. Dr. Anna Crews Camphouse is pastor of Canaan, Lakeville, Millerton, and Sharon United Methodist Churches
Lead Pastor of the Northwestern Hills Cooperative
Parish UMC