“We are in the middle of a fight right now with hydrilla, and each punch definitely hurts a little more.” Jeremiah Foley, Assistant Scientist and Biological Control Specialist, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station/Office of Aquatic Invasive Species
Map showing hydrilla survey sites at state boat launches.
SALISBURY — Last summer, East Twin became the first lake in the state to discover the presence of a genetically distinct strain of invasive hydrilla, a robust aquatic plant which, if left unchecked, can out-compete native plants and devastate local ecosystems.
Until it found its way into East Twin, most likely by hitchhiking a ride on a boat or boat trailer, the novel variant had only been identified in the Connecticut River, where it has wreaked havoc since 2016, and continues to do so today, as scientists and environmentalists work furiously to find a way to manage and eradicate the aggressive weed from the state’s waterways.
In response to the growing threat, the state environmentalists plan to spend the next several months, the peak hydrilla growth period, surveying 94 state-owned boat launches throughout Connecticut in search of hydrilla, according to Jeremiah Foley, assistant scientist and biological control specialist with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station/Office of Aquatic Invasive Species (CAES/OAIS).
Foley, who has paid numerous visits to East Twin, was the guest lecturer at the Aug. 3 annual meeting of the Twin Lakes Association (TLA) at Camp Isola Bella. His presentation focused on the status of hydrilla in Connecticut and specifically on Twin Lakes.
He noted that a novel strain of hydrilla, first found in 2016, infests the Connecticut River from Agawam, Mass., to near Long Island Sound.
“In 2023, molecular identification confirmed the plant was also in six Connecticut lakes and ponds, and in four of the lakes, the hydrilla was found in close proximity to public boat launches. This suggests the plant may be introduced by launch activities particularly by boats entering the lakes that had previously been in the Connecticut River,” Foley explained.
The state scientist said early detection and rapid response protocols would be enhanced if hydrilla surveys of areas near boat ramps were performed to quantify how common the Connecticut River variant of hydrilla is found near boat launches, and if so, “provide guidance to help boaters prevent introduction, and prioritize management decisions.”
The boat launch survey project, he said, will include all 94 state-owned boat launches, including launches located at lakes and ponds. Seventy-five of the sites accommodate trailers and 20 are only for car top/carry in, he explained.
“We have now found the Connecticut River hydrilla in several locations,” explained Foley, who, before joining the OAIS, worked on invasive species control and eradication, including hydrilla, in Florida, where his bread and butter, he said, was biological control.
“You guys were the first to get it, or the first to find it. This year alone, we found it at four more sites. I can’t even keep my data updated fast enough. We are in the middle of a fight right now with hydrilla, and each punch definitely hurts a little more.”
During the nearly two-hour meeting, Foley, TLA officials and Salisbury First Selectman Curtis Rand fielded concerns and questions from those in attendance, many of whom live or own property on the Twin Lakes. They discussed the importance of halting the spread and eventually eradicating hydrilla through aggressive monitoring and lake management.
TLA president Grant Bogle opened the meeting by noting that it was no surprise that the 2024 survey revealed hydrilla has spread at East Twin. “We should be expecting this for a few years until we get control of the situation,” he noted.
Hydrilla, which is among the most aggressive invasive aquatic species, able to grow in water up to 30 feet deep and double in biomass every two weeks, has taken root in three new locations along East Twin’s eastern shore, at the north bed and has formed deep mats around the boat launch.
“If you go down to the marina, look to the right and look to the left, it’s hydrilla. It’s everywhere down there. That’s ground zero,” said Bogle.
On a positive note, the TLA president explained that the state is allowing the expanded use of the herbicide Sonar, widely regarded as one of the most effective treatments, around O’Hara’s Landing Marina and further into the north cove, where the plant is rapidly growing.
The treatment area around the marina will expand to include 17 acres, according to Russ Conklin, vice president of lake management for the TLA. Treatments were expected to start Aug. 7.
Looking ahead to next year, TLA officials said they plan to start Sonar treatment earlier in the season and for the entire growing period, and treatment will cover the entire littoral zone of East Twin, rather than spot-treatment, a strategy that was met with success at Coventry Lake, in Tolland County, where hydrilla was discovered in 2015.
East Twin officials are looking to Coventry Lake’s success in eradicating hydrilla after a seven-year effort as a case study for East Twin, even though that lake’s strain of hydrilla is slightly different than the Connecticut River variant.
Coventry initially spot treated with an herbicide Aquathol and applied a subsequent five-year treatment of Sonar to its entire littoral zone. By the end of 2022, there was no evidence of hydrilla in the lake. No herbicide treatment was applied in the 2023 season, and after three hydrilla beds cropped up in August, their lake consultant, Northeast Aquatic Research (NEAR), recommended a return to Sonar treatments of the entire littoral zone for a minimum of three years.
“There is a lot of ignorance surrounding the use of herbicides…that you can put the product in the water and see it go downstream. That’s not the case. You can be selective,” Foley explained.
He noted that there are a dozen products highly regulated by the EPA, and that herbicides are just one tool within the tool belt of dealing with invasive plants.
“If you don’t do anything, that’s also a threat to that biodiversity,” said Foley.
As hydrilla grows, lake management costs soar, too.
Bogle said the TLA expects to spend $300,000 battling hydrilla this year, and $350,000 in 2025.
“Maintaining Twin Lakes for future generations,” he said, “requires us to commit to sustained investments of upwards of $350,000 per year.” For the 2025 season, Bogle said the TLA needs to raise upwards of $225,000 per year.
The bulk of responsibility for funding lake management will fall to the TLA membership, he noted, as annual membership dues account for less than 10 percent of the budget.
“Everyone is scared to death about these expenses. And here is the unfortunate news,” said Bogle. “It doesn’t go down next year or the year after that.”
The town of Salisbury is poised to contribute $100,000 for lake management in 2025 which includes the cost of launch monitors at the marina, he said, and the TLA will continue to explore other funding sources, including grants through DEEP.
Lakeville Journal
Canaan Carnival
6 to 10 p.m.
Bunny McGuire Park
Old Time Bingo
6 to 10 p.m.
Bunny McGuire Park Pavilion
Fire Truck Rides
6 to 10 p.m.
Canaan Carnival
6 to 10 p.m.
Bunny McGuire Park
Old Time Bingo
6 to 10 p.m.
Bunny McGuire Park Pavilion
Fire Truck Rides
6 to 10 p.m.
Canaan Carnival
6 to 10 p.m.
Bunny McGuire Park
Old Time Bingo
6 to 10 p.m.
Bunny McGuire Park Pavilion
Fire Truck Rides
6 to 10 p.m.
4th Annual Fly-In - CANCELLED
New England Accordion Museum
9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Canaan Union Station
Canaan Union Depot Museum
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Canaan Union Station
Canaan Carnival
3 to 10 p.m.
Bunny McGuire Park
Barbecued Chicken Dinner
5 p.m. until sold out
St. Martin of Tours
4 Main St.
Canaan Fireman’s parade
6 p.m.
Bed Race
Following parade
Main street in front of
St. Joseph’s Church
Fireworks
Around 9 p.m.
Ambulance Buffet breakfast
8 to 11 a.m.
New England Accordion Museum
9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Canaan Union Station
Canaan Union Depot Museum
2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Canaan Union Station
Phoebe Tobin
Le Bar, adjacent to Le Gamin in Sharon, has reopened for the season with a new menu, new bartender and plans to remain open year-round.
SHARON — Le Bar, the space next door that is part of Le Gamin, has reopened for the summer with a new menu, a new bartender and plans to become a year-round destination for drinks, good food and community events.
The bar first opened last summer as a seasonal extension of Le Gamin before closing for the winter. This year, owner Robert Arbor decided to bring it back with a more permanent approach, adding a new, and locally famous bartender, a different menu and a space that stands apart from the French café next door.
“We opened the bar last year just for the summer and closed it in the winter,” Arbor said. “This year we will run the restaurant from the bar all winter because it’s much cozier, warmer.”
The idea of Le Bar, although connected to Le Gamin, was to offer something different, a different vibe, to the community of Sharon and beyond. While the restaurant offers the experience of a classic French café, with crepes and quiche, the bar creates a darker, more intimate feel, with seating at the bar and tables throughout the smaller space.
The menu also separates the two spaces. Le Bar offers a slightly more American-style menu, featuring items like burgers and chicken sandwiches.
These changes and revamping were made possible by bartender Ryan Andrade, who previously worked at the White Hart Inn in Salisbury, garnering a local reputation as a talented bartender and, in 2021, was the Connecticut Restaurant Association Bartender of the Year Finalist. Arbor gave Andrade the freedom to shape the bar’s menu and overall feel.
“Those are all my own recipes, and I curated the food menu,” Andrade said. “The cocktails are my babies so it’s kind of hard to pick a favorite”
In the future, Ryan is looking to establish Le Bar as a gathering place. Recently, it has been hosting world cup watch parties and dance nights, including a U.S. match that packed the space from wall to wall.
Andrade hopes Le Bar brings a different energy to Sharon, describing the goal as bringing “kind of a Brooklyn side to Sharon” while cultivating a speakeasy atmosphere.
As Le Bar embarks on its first full year, Arbor and Andrade are looking forward to creating a regular destination for Sharon and Connecticut residents to gather.
John Coston
Accepting New Patients” reads a banner in front of the Community Health and Wellness Center in North Canaan, now two years old. The facility continues to expand medical and health offerings.
NORTH CANAAN — The federally supported healthcare safety net in the Northwest Corner that offers sliding-scale payments continues to expand its reach in the community.
The Community Health and Wellness Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), reported 36,235 visits in 2025, up from 33,750 in the previous year.
CHWC, which has medical office facilities in Torrington, Winsted and one in North Canaan that opened in the spring of 2024, reported that 65% of patients served last year were living at or below the poverty level.
In 2025, the organization served a total of 7,212 patients, compared to 6,746 the year before.
“We offer primary care, dental, behavioral health and much more,” said Joanne Borduas, chief executive officer. “We provide a local comprehensive medical infrastructure.”
The Northwest Corner continues to experience a shortage of primary-care doctors, compounded by the fact that some physicians no longer accept new patients, and others have long lead times for an appointment to see a doctor. FQHCs receive enhanced Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement and serve medically underserved areas.
In addition to primary care, CHWC has a long list of medical services that include women’s health, pediatrics, telemedicine, behavioral health, dental, pharmacy, home visits and others, as well as providing transportation for those in need and even a food pantry. The agency operates in 24 towns in the Northwest Corner and in seven Torrington schools, three Region One schools and has a mobile health clinic.
Though CHWC accepts insured and uninsured patients, Medicaid recipients, comprising low-income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults, and people with disabilities, made up 48% of CHWC’s patient base last year.
The organization has struggled to get reimbursement from the state for its Medicaid expenses. It also has faced the threat of Medicaid cutbacks from Washington and disputes with Connecticut’s Department of Social Service to make the state’s 17 Federally Qualified Health Care Centers whole with respect to their Medicaid costs. Last July, after lengthy negotiations, an agreement was reached to increase reimbursements over three years that will bring reimbursements to 2023 levels.
In May, CHWC announced a fundraising campaign in anticipation of federal Medicaid cuts.
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Debra A. Aleksinas
Woldemar Neufeld’s Cascade Bridge in Kent is among the watercolor and ink paintings featured in the Bridges Across the Housatonic exhibition opening July 17 in West Cornwall.
WEST CORNWALL — Fifty years after artist Woldemar Neufeld completed one of the most ambitious artistic tributes ever devoted to the Housatonic River, a selection of his celebrated paintings will return to public view this summer, offering visitors a rare glimpse into the river’s history and the enduring landmarks that have long connected communities throughout the valley.
The exhibition, called “Bridges Across the Housatonic,” will open July 17 at the Housatonic River Commission and Cornwall Conservation Trust offices, located at 7 Railroad St. It will feature 10 original watercolor and ink paintings depicting bridges along the federally designated Wild & Scenic stretch of the Housatonic River in Northwest Connecticut.
The works, which mark the first public display of the collection since 2004, are part of the artist’s personal mission to document every bridge crossing the 149-mile Housatonic River. Beginning in 1974, Neufeld and his wife spent three years painting 65 automobile bridges and two pedestrian bridges stretching from the river’s headwaters in Massachusetts to Long Island Sound.
The resulting collection became both an artistic achievement and an important historical record, preserving scenes that in many cases have since changed dramatically through infrastructure improvements, environmental restoration and shifting patterns of land use.
Neufeld’s paintings capture not only the bridges themselves, but also the everyday relationship between people and the river — fishermen casting from its banks, farmers working nearby fields and travelers crossing structures that became familiar landmarks in communities from the Berkshires to Long Island Sound.
Today, many of the bridges depicted in Neufeld’s paintings remain cherished landmarks, while others have disappeared or evolved with the passage of time.
Presented by the Cornwall-based Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) in partnership with the Housatonic River Commission and Cornwall Conservation Trust, the exhibition also includes original sketches, reference photographs Neufeld took while creating the series in the 1970s, and contemporary photographs showing how many of the same locations have changed — or remarkably remained the same — over the past half century.
The public is invited to an opening reception on Friday, July 17, from 3 to 5 p.m.
About Neufeld’s works
Born in 1909, Neufeld established a national reputation as a painter, printmaker and sculptor whose work is held in collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Library of Congress, the New Britain Museum of American Art and Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital.
“Neufeld was a realistic and sensitive portrayer of the connections between the built environment and the natural world,” said Tim Abbott, executive director of the Housatonic Valley Association.
“He understood that even mundane structures with a functional purpose like highway bridges had a form and elegance that not only help convey us over the river but become part of how we experience the landscape.”
Continued stewardship
The exhibition also celebrates the ongoing stewardship of the Housatonic River.
In 2023, a 41-mile stretch of the river through Northwest Connecticut received federal designation as part of the National Park Service’s Wild & Scenic Rivers Program, recognizing its exceptional scenic, ecological and recreational value.
Both HVA and the Housatonic River Commission played key roles in securing that designation and continue working alongside local conservation partners to protect water quality, wildlife habitat and public access throughout the watershed.
For residents who have seen renewed conservation efforts focus on the Housatonic River, including a $1.5 million state grant announced recently to keep a 245-acre parcel from development, the exhibition offers a look at its past and a reminder of why protecting its future remains a priority.
Aly Morrissey
Co-owner Lenore Mallett
NORTH CANAAN – Untouched and dust-covered in the attic of the Colonial Theatre are fading spools of movie tickets, retro popcorn buckets, yellowed bowling score sheets and wooden armchairs from the building’s original movie seats. Frozen in time, the relics tell the story of more than a century of community gatherings as the theater’s current owners celebrate its past, reflect on their three-year stewardship and prepare to pass the torch.
Now for sale, the 10,000-square-foot venue and parking lot is up for grabs for $695,000 and the owners say they are looking for the right buyer with an interest in preserving its history and charm.
The Colonial Theatre has been a part of North Canaan’s downtown since 1923. Its latest chapter began in 2023 when Lenore and Mark Mallett joined Dave and Stacy Fiorillo to purchase the long-vacant building with a vision of restoring it as a gathering place.
“We wanted to pay honor to its past,” Lenore Mallett said. “It was such a lovely gathering space for so long that we all felt a calling to bring that back to the community because it’s such a gem and it should be shared.
The owners’ vision was clear – revive the building’s exterior and get people in the doors.
Their first order of business was to provide the theater with what they described as a much-needed facelift.
From the street, the building appeared neglected, Mallett said. Peeling paint and a faded marquee masked an interior that she said was surprisingly well preserved after a major renovation in the early 2000s.
Focusing on curb appeal, they repaired the marquee, painted the whole building, and brought back some of the “vibrancy.”
The result, Mallett said, was a transformation that brought a diverse range of vendors, renters and tenants to the building and its two first-floor retail spaces. Since reopening, the building has housed a bakery, a photography studio and a children’s arts and crafts center while hosting movie nights, birthday parties and private events.
A collection of posters and newspaper clippings.Photo by Aly Morrissey
The history
The Colonial Theatre’s history is as interesting and diverse as the many nooks and crannies within the building itself.
Built in 1923 by hotelier Seth Moseley as a gift for his wife, the building was originally known as “The Casino.”
Mallett said his wife often traveled from New Haven and grew bored of rural living, prompting Moseley to build her a three-level entertainment space.
“Downstairs had the bowling alley, the main floor had the theater, and upstairs was a dance hall,” Mallett said, adding that the main floor had air conditioning, a rare luxury at the time.
The bowling alley had eight alleys and advertised a “fully equipped soda and snack shop to refresh you.”
The Casino was sold in 1929 to businessman Anthony Boscardin, who modernized the building, changed its name, and created the art-deco interior that The Colonial Theatre is still known for today.
Old ticket stubs can still be found in the attic showing movies that cost between 15 and 25 cents during the early days.
The theater struggled financially and closed in 1997. After undergoing a roughly $1 million renovation in the early 2000s, it shuttered its doors in 2010 and remained closed for a decade until the Mallett and Fiorillo families purchased it.
The future
Although the owners are ready to step aside, they hope the building’s next chapter builds on the foundation they’ve laid.
“We think the next steward, if they came in and were passionate about entertainment or food and beverage, this could certainly get taken to the next level,” Mallett said.
The theater will continue to operate with its regularly scheduled sponsored movies and private events while the owners search for a buyer.
“We’ve greased the wheels,” Mallett said. “We opened the doors, launched the business, created a website and built a booking and ticketing system. We have all the nuts and bolts, so if there was someone willing to take it on, it could really be something special.”
Annie Prinz
Sarah March stands outside March Esthetics, Home + Body at 19 Main St. in Salisbury, where she plans a soft retail opening July 24.
SALISBURY — Years before Sarah March opened her first spa in Seattle, a facial she received as a teenager in Salisbury showed her how restorative an hour of personal care could be.
“It was the most comforting, transformative time,” March said.
That experience stuck with her as she moved across the country and eventually built a career as an esthetician. Now, the Falls Village native is returning to the Northwest Corner to create that experience for others through March Esthetics, Home + Body, a new retail and skin-care business on 19 Main St.
March plans to hold a soft retail opening on Friday, July 24, followed by a larger opening in August. Facials and other esthetic services are expected to begin later once plumbing work and required inspections are complete.
A Falls Village native and Housatonic Valley Regional High School graduate, March left the area and has lived out West for more than 20 years. She went to school for esthetics, eventually settling in Seattle, where she opened Sweet Haven Spa in 2017.
March continues to travel between Connecticut and Washington, but eventually plans to leave the Seattle business to focus fully on the Salisbury location. Her decision to return was motivated in part by a desire to live closer to her parents and become more connected to a smaller community.
“Every time I came home, I was like, ‘I do love this,’” March said. “I want to have a garden. I want to be close to my parents and be in a smaller community. There’s a lot more connection here.”
March had initially assumed she wouldn’t find a storefront available in Salisbury. After considering locations in North Canaan and Falls Village, a friend happened to connect her with a local Sotheby’s real estate agent. March described the timing as “kismet.”
Situated next to Sweet Williams Coffee Shop & Bakery in the space formerly occupied by Rosemary Rose Finery, the location’s walkability was part of its appeal. March hopes that people visiting Salisbury’s cafés, restaurants and other businesses will discover the shop as they move through town.
The Salisbury business will draw from March’s experience running Sweet Haven Spa, but it will not be an exact copy. While the Seattle business was initially built around lash and brow enhancement and body sugaring, the new location will place greater emphasis on retail, facials, and brow and sugaring services by request.
March has curated the retail selection around the routines people incorporate into their days, including morning, bathing, and sleep rituals. The store will carry skin and body care products alongside items such as bamboo pillowcases, sleep masks, teas, and chocolates.
The goal, March said, is not to carry the widest possible assortment, but to offer carefully selected products associated with comfort and everyday care.
“I curated the shop around the idea of what we ritualize in our day,” she said.
Éminence Organic Skin Care, a Hungarian skin-care company whose products March has used throughout her career, will be the shop’s primary skin-care brand. She is also seeking products from smaller companies that are environmentally conscious, women-owned, or give back to their communities. She plans to rotate seasonal products into the store while continuing to carry the products customers respond to most enthusiastically.
The esthetics menu is still being finalized but is expected to include a signature facial and custom facials tailored to each client’s specific skin-care goals. She also plans to offer sugaring, a gentle hair removal method that uses a paste made from sugar, water, and lemon juice. Some services she plans to offer, such as brow and lash lifts and tints, are pending confirmation of licensing requirements in Connecticut and may not be immediately available.
The July soft opening will allow March to introduce the retail store, see which products interest local shoppers, and make adjustments before the larger opening. She expects the store to operate Thursday through Sunday at first, although the hours remain tentative and may expand based on demand. Once services begin, appointments will be booked online through Square. She also hopes to hire and train another employee as soon as possible.
More than any particular product or service, March said she wants the business to offer customers a space to step away from the demands of their day. After leaving the store, she hopes clients will feel relaxed and pampered and see a noticeable change in their skin.
“I want them to feel like they’re coming in and getting something out of this. Be it relaxation, be it skin care, be it just an hour and a half away from their day, they can take a break,” March said. “It’s wonderful.”
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