The Park Reopens

The reopening of Eddie Collins Memorial Park in Millerton on Saturday, Oct. 1, drew hundreds of people from the community at-large to mark the completion of the first phase of the revitalization of the park that has served as the recreational center for the region for decades. For more, see Eddie Collins Memorial Park: A park reopens for the community.

Mayor Jennifer Nadjek plays goalie as her niece, Allegra Najdek, 10, takes a shot. Photo by John Coston

Photo by John Coston

Team members battled during the tournament. Photo by John Coston

The mayor showed off her dribbling skills on the new basketball court. Photo by John Coston

Mayor Nadjek interviewed the chair of the project committee, Stephen Waite, who gave so much time and energy to have a successful event. Photo by Olivia Valentine

Effie Clark, 6, of Millerton gets fitted for a free helmet by Mike Veeder, officer in charge at Millerton Police Department. Photo by John Coston

Mia Quiles, 8, shows stretching talent. Photo by John Coston

Parker Plouffe, of Sharon, enjoys a hotdog while watching basketball from the sideline. Photo by John Coston

Mayor Jennifer Nadjek plays goalie as her niece, Allegra Najdek, 10, takes a shot. Photo by John Coston

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Out of the mouths of Ukrainian babes

To escape the cruelties of war, Katya finds solace in her imagination in “Sunflower Field”.

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‘I can sum up the last year in three words: fear, love, hope,” said Oleksandr Hranyk, a Ukrainian school director in Kharkiv, in a February 2023 interview with the Associated Press. Fast forward to 2025, and not much has changed in his homeland. Even young children in Ukraine are echoing these same sentiments, as illustrated in two short films screened at The Moviehouse in Millerton on April 5, “Once Upon a Time in Ukraine” and “Sunflower Field.”

“Sunflower Field,” an animated short from Ukrainian filmmaker Polina Buchak, begins with a young girl, Katya, who embroiders as her world becomes unstitched with the progression of the war. To cope, Katya retreats into a vivid fantasy world, shielding herself from the brutal realities surrounding her life, all while desperately wanting her family to remain intact as she awaits a phone call from her father, one that may never come.

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Provided

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The author will give a talk on “The Buckleys of Sharon” at the Sharon Historical Society on Saturday, April 12, at 11 a.m. following the group’s annual meeting. The book has details on the family’s life in Sharon, which will, no doubt, be of interest to local residents.

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Janet Marlow’s pet sounds

Janet Marlow recording Pet Acoustics.

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“I’ve always been deeply connected to music. It’s in my DNA as a fifth-generation musician. But it wasn’t until 1994, after moving from New York City to Connecticut, that I discovered how music could impact animals.” Marlow said, “I decided to live in Litchfield County because of the extraordinary beauty of nature that inspired so many compositions.” It was when Marlow adopted a black-and-white cat named Osborn that something remarkable happened. “Every time I played the guitar, Osborn would come to my side and relax. It was clear that the music was affecting him, and this sparked my curiosity,” she said. This sparked Marlow to start investigating how animals perceive sound and whether music could be used to improve their well-being.

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