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Abeth Slotnick carefully refreshed a faded blaze on a trailside tree in the Salisbury Land Trust’s Yoakum Preserve Sunday, April 27.
Patrick L. Sullivan
LAKEVILLE — A hardy group of 13 volunteers gathered at the end of Reservoir Road in Lakeville on a chilly Sunday morning, April 27, and marched up into the Salisbury Land Trust’s Yoakum Preserve to do some trail work.
The land trust acquired the roughly 250 acres of undeveloped forest on the southwestern slope of Mount Riga from Alice Yoakum of Lakeville in 2020.
The boundaries are the Lakeville reservoir to the west, Mount Riga to the north and private land to the south.
The Yoakum Preserve was one of six land trust properties totaling 682 acres safeguarded as “forever-wild” through the Northeast Wilderness Trust’s Wildlands Partnership program in 2023.
The group set off on foot from the designated parking area at the end of Reservoir Road.Land Trust head John Landon drove up ahead because he had heavier equipment such as a chain saw in his car.
Landon had also been to the preserve a few days earlier to drop off additional equipment.
It’s a quick albeit uphill walk to the trailhead, and then a somewhat longer walk of 15 or 20 minutes to where the Yoakum Preserve starts. The trail is clearly marked, as are the boundaries of the reservoir land, which is mostly off-limits.
Landon divided the group in two. Group A stayed behind to rake the trail and remove any obvious obstacles, and to add or refresh blazes on trees.
Group B soldiered on another few hundred yards to where the trail starts to climb and where some heavier work was needed. This is where the chain saw came in.
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All about apples at Ridgway Farm
Apr 30, 2025
Ian Ridgway kneels in the nursery to show how a young tree that he grafted is growing.
L. Tomaino
CORNWALL — The Cornwall Garden Club hosted an apple tree workshop at Ridgway Farm on Town Street Saturday, April 26.
More than twenty attendees gathered in the farm’s newly built barn, which when finished will house a store, tasting room, cold storage for fruits and vegetables and someday, a cidery.
After a welcome to the farm, Gordon Ridgway said he hoped the future store would offer “really good local food and a place for people to come and enjoy what we have here.”He expects the farm store to open this year to begin selling homegrown maple syrup and organic produce.
He introduced Peter Del Tredici, formerly of Harvard Arboretum, who is a fellow Cornwall apple enthusiast.
Ridgway’s son, Ian, explained that when he graduated from college in 2019, he searched for something to do to “not just follow in the old man’s footsteps.”He discovered a book called “Uncultivated,” by Andy Brennan, which inspired him to learn cider-making.
Nowadays, he explained, there are basically seven basic varieties of apples in stores. “Older varieties go by the wayside and are lost to history,” said Ian.
He set out to find the older varieties, also known as heritage apples, in historical Cornwall orchards to use them in his grafting. Heritage apples are known for being more flavorful.
Ian began grafting apple trees in 2023 and demonstrated the process. He uses semi-dwarf apple trees for his root stock, which determines the size of the tree. He likes the resulting height. “About 12 feet high.”
The first step in grafting is to select a scion and root stock of similar diameters.Then both pieces get inch-long cuts on a slant to expose wood.These are lined up again and notches are cut in both pieces. “You cut the notch in both so they can hook into each other,” explained Ian.
Next a wound dressing is applied, and a piece of plastic tape is added around the wound for stability. Both keep water and other substances out.
Ian led the group out to the nursery where the newly grafted trees are kept for about two years. He pointed out some with green leaves, saying, “Green means happy.”
Once ready to leave the nursery, the young trees are moved to the orchard and are planted about 12 feet apart.
Ian placed a young tree in a hole big enough to give the roots plenty of room to spread. He made sure that “the graft union is a couple of inches above the soil line.”The young tree was then watered, and soil was added around the roots.
“Certain varieties of apples make better cider,” Ian commented, “generally, those with higher sugar content.” Ridgway Farm has more than 500 trees and 30 varieties of apples growing now.
One variety, Redfield, is known for having red flesh and red skin. It gives the cider a reddish color. Another, Wickson, he said, has “an insane explosion of flavor.”
Ian expects to make cider from his own apples in about five years.
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Located on gracious Maple Avenue in Norfolk, 50 Maple Ave. sold privately for $500,000.
Christine Bates
NORFOLK — The median price of homes sold in Norfolk has remained between $350,000 and $400,000 since December of 2020.
In the first quarter of 2025, seven properties were transferred including one parcel of land, three residences for under $300,000, two homes for $500,000 and $550,000 and one home for $875,000.
Over the last ten years the number of homes listed for sale during March has steadily declined from 39 homes for sale in March of 2015 to 12 in 2020 to only four in March of this year.
Recent Transactions
443 Greenwoods Road — 2 bedroom/1.5 bath ranch sold by Kaitlin J. Sokolow to Caliann L Wood for $299,000 recorded on Jan. 13, 2025.
68 Sunset Ridge Road — 4 bedroom/3.5 bath home on 1.8 acres sold by Estate of Joan Williams Farr to Elizabeth Kuhse and Lucy Farr 2023 Revocable Trust for $550,000 recorded on Jan. 27, 2025.
8 Ashpohtag Road — 13.5 acres sold by Robert E. Leibrock to Joseph S. Dusvitch for $35,000 recorded on Feb. 5, 2025.
181 Greenwoods Road — 3 bedroom/1.5 bath home on 0.56 acres sold by Gardenmaker LLC to Sara and Kyle Acuna for $292,000 recorded on Feb. 20, 2025.
92 Goshen St. — 3 bedroom/2 bath home built in 1765 on 5.5 acres sold by Marybeth Y. McNamee to Nancy Lorenz and Douglas J. Schwalbe for $875,000 recorded on March 4, 2025.
3 Greenwoods Road East, Unit 2B — 1 bedroom/1 bath condo sold by Estate of Susan B. Pratt to Kelly M. Phillips for $126,000 on March 17, 2025.
50 Maple Ave. — 4 bedroom/3.5 bath home on 0.35 acres sold by Michael S. Cobb and Mary Lou Cobb to Martina Gago Ageitos and Michael Sherman Cobb Jr. for $500,000 recorded on March 26, 2025.
*Town of Norfolk real estate transfers recorded as sold between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2025, provided with the help of the Norfolk Town Clerk. Transfers without consideration are not included. Current market data courtesy of Smart MLS and Info Sparks. Compiled by Christine Bates, Real Estate Salesperson with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, Licensed in Connecticut and New York.
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PolicePolice Blotter: Troop B
Apr 30, 2025
Police Blotter: Troop B
Police Blotter: Troop B
The following information was provided by the Connecticut State Police at Troop B. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Disturbance arrest at post office
Around midday on April 18, troopers responded to a report of a suspected active assault at the Sharon Post Office. After investigating, troopers determined that Michael Redmond, 77, of Falls Village was in violation of disorderly conduct and issued him a misdemeanor summons. He was released on a $500 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear at Torrington Superior Court on May 2.
Car hits boulder, flips
At about 5 p.m. on April 18, Dermot Woods, 76, of Cornwall Bridge was traveling southbound on Route 7 north of the intersection with Burlwood Lane when he veered off the road and struck a boulder, causing his vehicle to flip over onto its roof. Woods was uninjured in the accident, but his Volvo V60 Premier had to be towed from the scene. Woods was issued an infraction for failure to maintain proper lane.
Disturbance leads to dual arrest
Near 5 p.m. on April 20, troopers were dispatched to Ashley Falls Road in response to a report of an active disturbance. After investigating, troopers arrested both Taleaya Miles, 29, of East Greenbush, New York and Taevon Walker, 29, of Hamden. Miles was charged with breach of peace 2nd degree and issued a misdemeanor summons. Walker was charged for disorderly conduct and was released on a $1,500 non-surety bond. Both were scheduled to appear at Torrington Superior Court on April 21.
Truck strikes power lines, flees
At about 1:30 p.m. on April 22, troopers received a call reporting a tractor trailer stuck on Surdan Mountain Road in Sharon after striking and damaging power lines. By the time troopers arrived, the vehicle had fled the scene. Troop B requests that anyone with information surrounding the incident contact Trooper Howell at 860-626-1820. If found, the driver will be given a misdemeanor summons for evading responsibility when causing property damage.
Tree falls, strikes vehicle
On the evening of April 26, Connor Rankin, 20, of South Windsor was driving with Eric Rankin, 62, also of South Windsor, eastbound on Route 44 in Norfolk near the intersection with Old Colony Road when a tree suddenly fell. It struck utility wires overhead, breaking apart and causing a piece of the tree to strike their vehicle, a Toyota Tacoma, in several places including the windshield. No injuries were reported, but the vehicle was towed from the scene.
The Lakeville Journal will publish the outcome of police charges. Contact us by mail at P.O. Box 1688, Lakeville, CT 06039, Attn: Police Blotter, or send an email, with “police blotter” in the subject line, to editor@lakevillejournal.com
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