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The Grace Note speakeasy
Feb 18, 2026
Natalia Zukerman opens Stissing Center’s new speakeasy, The Grace Note.
Aly Morrissey
The Stissing Center officially opened The Grace Note on Friday, Feb. 13, a new speakeasy-style venue aimed at turning Friday nights into a weekly home for local and regional talent.
Hidden in the basement of The Stissing Center, The Grace Note certainly has the feel of a speakeasy, with its brick walls, dim lights and fully stocked bar. Executive Director Patrick Trettenero welcomed the first sold-out crowd and said the inspiration for the reimagined venue came from a desire to offer performances that connect audiences with artists in an intimate setting.
The debut performance featured Natalia Zukerman, Compass Arts & Entertainment editor and Stissing Center advisory board member, who will also co-manage booking for the space as it rolls out weekly programming. From the moment she stepped onto the stage, Zukerman held the audience in the palm of her hand, leaving concert-goers hanging on her every word. There were moments of raucous laughter and moments when you could hear a pin drop.
A storyteller at heart, Zukerman wove an introspective thread throughout the night, exploring how connection, art and beauty can exist even amid injustice and a relentless news cycle. Between songs, she offered commentary and her personal reflections, while her lyrics echoed many of the same themes.
The Grace Note will be open every Friday night. For a schedule of upcoming performances and to purchase tickets, visit thestissingcenter.org
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'This Beautiful Place'
Feb 18, 2026
'This Beautiful Place'
Photo Provided
“This Beautiful Place,” paintings by Torrington artist Suzan Scott exploring the Litchfield Hills and surrounding landscapes will be on view Feb. 12‑March 13 at the David M. Hunt Library, 63 Main St., Falls Village. Opening rception: Saturday, Feb. 21, 5 to 7 p.m. Art talk: Thursday, March 12, 5:30 p.m. Free and open to all.
Legal Notices - February 19, 2026
Feb 18, 2026
Legal Notice
Notice of formation of Glynevian Gundogs LLC. Arts of Org filed with SSNY on 9/25/2025. Office location: Dutchess County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Business Name and Address. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.
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02-19-26
Legal Notice
Notice of Formation of Cat Kin Willow LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the SSNY on 1/7/2026. Office Location: Dutchess County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to: Cat Kin Willow LLC, 14 Poplar Ave, Pine Plains, NY, 12567. Purpose: Any lawful act or activity.
02-05-26
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03-12-26
Legal Notice
Notice of Formation of Your Mom’s Bush Native & Medicinal Plant Nursery LLC. Arts. Of Org. file with SSNY on 1/20/2026. Office location: Dutchess County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 3657 U.S. 44, Millbrook, NY, 12545. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.
02-12-26
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03-19-26
Legal Notice
On-Center Contracting LLC filed an Application for Authority with the Secretary of State of NY on 11/14/2025.
Office location: Dutchess County.
SSNY is designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served.
SSNY shall mail a copy of any process served against the LLC to 183 Lake Rd, Warren, CT 06777.
The purpose of the LLC is contracting/carpentry. On-Center Contracting LLC can be reached at (860)-806-4934.
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Classifieds - February 19, 2026
Feb 18, 2026
Help Wanted
PART-TIME CARE-GIVER NEEDED: possibly LIVE-IN. Bright private STUDIO on 10 acres. Queen Bed, En-Suite Bathroom, Kitchenette & Garage. SHARON 407-620-7777.
The Salisbury Association’s Land Trust seeks part-time Land Steward: Responsibilities include monitoring easements and preserves, filing monitoring reports, documenting and reporting violations or encroachments, and recruiting and supervising volunteer monitors. The Steward will also execute preserve and trail stewardship according to Management Plans and manage contractor activity. Up to 10 hours per week, compensation commensurate with experience. Further details and requirements are available on request. To apply: Send cover letter, resume, and references to John Landon at info@salisburyassociation.org. The Salisbury Association is an equal opportunity employer.
Weatogue Stables in Salisbury, CT: has an opening for experienced barn help for Mondays and Tuesdays. More hours available if desired. Reliable and experienced please! All daily aspects of farm care - feeding, grooming, turnout/in, stall/barn/pasture cleaning. Possible housing available for a full-time applicant. Lovely facility, great staff and horses! Contact Bobbi at 860-307-8531. Text best for prompt reply.
Services Offered
Hector Pacay Landscaping and Construction LLC: Fully insured. Renovation, decking, painting; interior exterior, mowing lawn, garden, stone wall, patio, tree work, clean gutters, mowing fields. 845-636-3212.
PROFESSIONAL HOUSEKEEPING & HOUSE SITTING: Experienced, dependable, and respectful of your home. Excellent references. Reasonable prices. Flexible scheduling available. Residential/ commercial. Call/Text: 860-318-5385. Ana Mazo.
Pets
12 week old black and tan/blue tick coonhound: mix for sale. First set of puppy shots done at 8 weeks. Call 860-248-9947 for more info and price. Ask for Eric.
Real Estate
PUBLISHER’S NOTICE: Equal Housing Opportunity. All real estate advertised in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1966 revised March 12, 1989 which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on race, color religion, sex, handicap or familial status or national origin or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. All residential property advertised in the State of Connecticut General Statutes 46a-64c which prohibit the making, printing or publishing or causing to be made, printed or published any notice, statement or advertisement with respect to the sale or rental of a dwelling that indicates any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, age, lawful source of income, familial status, physical or mental disability or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.
Real Estate For Sale
FOR SALE: 39 Hospital Hill Road, Sharon. 1680 sq.ft. Two family, rare side-by-side units. 4 bed; 2 full bath, 2 half. Great investment, or live in one and rent other side. $485,000. Call/text Sava, 914 -227-4127.
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A speed enforcement camera in New York City.
Photo courtesy NYC DOT
Speed cameras remain a tough sell across northwest Connecticut — and are still absent from local roads in neighboring Dutchess County.
Town leaders across northwest Connecticut are moving cautiously on speed cameras, despite a state law passed in 2023 that allows municipalities to install them. In contrast, no towns or villages in Dutchess County currently operate local automated speed-camera programs, even as New York City has relied on the technology for years.
In both states, officials say speeding remains a concern on local roads — particularly on through roads and in residential areas — but questions about cost, enforcement and public support have slowed momentum outside large cities.
For border communities in northeast Dutchess County, where traffic crosses state lines daily, the Connecticut debate hits close to home.
Supporters of speed cameras argue the technology can slow traffic and improve safety, particularly in communities with limited police coverage. Critics worry cameras could turn small towns into “speed traps,” and raise concerns about surveillance.
That caution mirrors the picture statewide in Connecticut. Since the law took effect, only 11 of the state’s 169 municipalities have implemented speed cameras.
In New York, automated speed cameras are widespread in New York City, where hundreds operate year-round in school zones under authority granted by the state Legislature.
However, unlike Connecticut’s opt-in law, New York requires separate legislative approval at the state level for each municipality to install local speed cameras. That authority has not been granted to towns or villages in Dutchess County.
Limited authorization has been extended by the state legislature to a small number of municipalities, including White Plains, Kingston, Schenectady and Albany.
As a result, automated enforcement in Dutchess County is currently limited to state-run work-zone speed cameras — temporary devices installed by the New York State Department of Transportation in active highway construction or maintenance areas that ticket drivers who exceed posted speed limits.
Connecticut towns can opt in, but few have
Washington is the only town in western Connecticut to adopt speed cameras so far, and officials there say the program is already changing driver behavior.
“Speeds are coming down,” said Washington First Selectman Jim Brinton, noting cameras were installed in May 2025. “We had tried everything — speed bumps, education. This is the only option that’s showing positive results.”
Elsewhere in the region, the response has been far more skeptical.
In Kent, voters overwhelmingly rejected a proposed speed-camera ordinance by a 391–100 margin in January 2025.
“I’m concerned about the atmosphere cameras create,” resident Lianna Gantt said during a public hearing. “Are we turning our town into a speed trap?”
Interviews with first selectmen in North Canaan, Falls Village, Sharon and Kent — along with responses from officials in Salisbury and Cornwall — show a shared concern about speeding but hesitancy to move forward with cameras.
A new law, but a complicated path
Connecticut’s process for implementing speed cameras is extensive. Towns must adopt a local ordinance, present a traffic enforcement plan at a public hearing and secure voter approval at a town meeting or referendum. Any approved plan must then be reviewed by the Connecticut Department of Transportation.
Towns must also install camera equipment and complete a mandatory public awareness period of at least 30 days before issuing citations.
After that warning phase, drivers may be fined $50 for a first violation and $75 for subsequent offenses if they exceed the speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour. Camera systems are operated by third-party vendors, which provide images of alleged violations for municipal review.
Each violation must be approved by a qualified municipal employee, contracted agent or law enforcement officer before a citation is mailed — a requirement many small towns say strains limited staff, particularly those without resident state troopers.
Sharon studies cameras after traffic analysis
With Kent having voted down the program, Sharon appears furthest along in northwest Connecticut in considering speed cameras.
First Selectman Casey Flanagan said the town began studying the option after a traffic analysis found widespread speeding on several local roads.
The study, conducted by Dacra Tech, examined six locations, including Route 41 southbound, Rhymus Road, Calkinstown Road and Williams Road.
“When they averaged it out, it came to almost 33,000 citable events a month on just six roads,” Flanagan said. “Some of these numbers are quite staggering.”
Sharon does not have a resident state trooper, meaning review of potential violations would likely fall to town staff.
“We need to figure out who is going to review the pictures and determine whether a citation gets mailed out,” Flanagan said, noting that the town is still studying the concept. “That could be me, or we could hire someone.”
While vendors have told town officials that citation volumes typically decline as driver behavior changes, Flanagan said Sharon is not rushing a decision.
“There really isn’t a clock on me right now,” he said.
Other towns opt for softer measures
North Canaan is expanding its use of digital speed feedback signs rather than pursuing cameras.
“No one has been asking for it,” First Selectman Jesse Bunce said.
The town is installing additional speed feedback signs along Route 44 and Sand Road through the state-supported Connecticut Speed Management Program, which also provides detailed speed data.
“Once we have that data, we can evaluate what to do next,” Bunce said.
Falls Village tested a temporary speed-monitoring camera about 18 months ago but ultimately pulled back.
“We found out the speed was not as great as we thought it was,” First Selectman David Barger said. “It was more perception than reality.”
Barger said the town relies on speed feedback signs and remains cautious about cameras, citing cost estimates of $26,000 to $28,000 per two-way unit and the lack of staff to review violations.
“The only reason we would want speed cameras is for safety,” he said. “It would not be a revenue generator.”
Salisbury and Cornwall also have no immediate plans to pursue speed cameras, though Salisbury First Selectman Curtis Rand has said he is not opposed to “a mechanical way of lowering speed.”
Washington offers a nearby example
Washington approved a speed-camera ordinance unanimously in December 2024 and began issuing citations in May after years of resident complaints.
Since then, the town has issued 13,748 citations totaling about $696,000 in fines, with roughly $525,000 collected as of late January, according to Brinton.
A town constable reviews images in-house, a process that now takes about 10 hours a week.
“It was pretty overwhelming at first,” Brinton said. “The volume initially caused a lot of struggles.”
Brinton stopped short of recommending cameras for every community but said Washington’s experience shows the technology can work when tailored to local conditions.
“Every town is different,” he said. “But it has worked for us.”
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In remembrance:
Tim Prentice and the art of making the wind visible
In remembrance:
Tim Prentice and the art of making the wind visible
There are artists who make objects, and then there are artists who alter the way we move through the world. Tim Prentice belonged to the latter. The kinetic sculptor, architect and longtime Cornwall resident died in November 2025 at age 95, leaving a legacy of what he called “toys for the wind,” work that did not simply occupy space but activated it, inviting viewers to slow down, look longer and feel more deeply the invisible forces that shape daily life.
Prentice received a master’s degree from the Yale School of Art and Architecture in 1960, where he studied with German-born American artist and educator Josef Albers, taking his course once as an undergraduate and again in graduate school.In “The Air Made Visible,” a 2024 short film by the Vision & Art Project produced by the American Macular Degeneration Fund, a nonprofit organization that documents artists working with vision loss, Prentice spoke of his admiration for Albers’ discipline and his ability to strip away everything but color. He recalled thinking, “If I could do that same thing with motion, I’d have a chance of finding a new form.”
What Prentice found through decades of exploration and play was a kind of formlessness in which what remains is not absence, but motion. To stand before one of his sculptures is to witness a quiet choreography where metal breathes, shadows shift and time softens.
After Yale, Prentice co-founded the architectural firm Prentice & Chan in 1965. The firm designed affordable housing projects in New York City, work largely led by partner Lo-Yi Chan. Prentice also designed custom single-family homes and continued to develop sculptural ideas alongside his architectural practice. After leaving the firm in 1975 and eventually relocating full time to Cornwall, he undertook a range of local architectural projects while increasingly devoting himself to sculpture.
Prentice began producing larger-scale sculptural commissions in the 1970s, during a period of national expansion in public art funding tied to new building projects. His first major commission came in 1976 from AT&T, helping launch a career that would bring his kinetic installations to corporate, institutional and public spaces across the United States and abroad. While his work follows in the lineage of Alexander Calder and George Rickey, critic Grace Glueck observed that its “gently assertive character is very much his own.”
In Cornwall, Prentice established a studio devoted to designing and fabricating kinetic sculpture, where he continued working for decades. He had many assistants over the years including local artists David Bean, Ellen Moon and Richard Griggs. David Colbert worked with Prentice for many years, assisting with fabrication, installation and project development and in 2012, Prentice established Prentice Colbert Inc., helping ensure that fabrication and development of large-scale commissions could continue beyond his lifetime.
Colbert said Prentice could be imperious, but came to understand that he valued thoughtful critique over agreement. “That evolved into a free and easy give-and-take, along with some fierce arguments,” he said. “Our relationship was always developing, right through to the end.”
In the mid-1990s, Prentice was diagnosed with macular degeneration, a condition that gradually narrowed his field of vision. Rather than turning away from the visual world, he leaned further into it, focusing on movement, light and peripheral perception — on what could be felt as much as seen. The Vision & Art Project film documents this period of his life and the ways he adapted his creative process.
Even in his final years, Prentice continued experimenting. In the summer of 2025, he created a series of drawings titled “Memory Trees,” produced from recollection as his eyesight declined. The series sold out at the Rose Algrant show that August, offering a poignant example of an artist adapting and creating throughout their lifetime.
“He was interested in whimsy,” said Nora Prentice of her dad. “But he also worked seven days a week,” she said. “He’d come in for dinner and then go right back out.” His studio was known for its atmosphere of curiosity and play, with music often drifting through the workspace as sculptures moved overhead in careful, measured rhythms. His work reminds viewers how profoundly small movements shape perception, and how change itself may be the only constant.
In his poem “Among School Children,” William Butler Yeats asks, “How can we know the dancer from the dance?” Prentice offered his own answer. “I’m not making the dance,” he said. “The wind is making the dance.”
As Nora reflected, “I think that’s how he would want to be remembered: for making the wind visible.”
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