Good Year for Open Space, Bad Year for Recreation

CORNWALL — A look back at 2006 shows a year marked by preservation of the past and careful planning for the future.

Folks in Cornwall like being called "quirky," and they are for the most part a creative bunch. At the same time, they are quick to rally to the issues.

The purchase of Lorch Farm, by the town but entirely through private donations, is a good example. More than half a million dollars was raised in nine weeks in a show of support for the preservation not just of open space, but also of agriculture.

Meanwhile, town officials and local organizations worked diligently on planning for future land use and ways to make Cornwall an affordable place to live.

At the Cornwall Historical Society, grants allowed for the hiring of a part-time curator to help members organize a wealth of documents and artifacts. Plans for improving and expanding the society’s historical headquarters got off the ground.

Of course, being Cornwall, it wasn’t all business. High points included Cartoonfest in June, a new ambulance and resurrection of the Cornwall Cup at the new Foote Fields ballfield. With enough grant funds remaining, construction began on a pavilion there. Several years after an expansion and upgrade began, Cornwall Consolidated School received a permanent certificate of occupancy.

The Covered Bridge was hit in only two notable (reported) accidents, good news in comparison with past years. Selectman Richard Bramley, a good Samaritan at a car accident, ended up the victim of a truck-jacking. Long after it was replaced, his truck was found — in the thief’s Meriden driveway, with a handgun on the seat. The result was two years and a day in jail for the theft plus drug and firearms charges.

Resident Michael Bradway was arrested in a sensational case of an elaborate fraud scenario that included his son’s faked fatal illness. The case has yet to be played out in court. The "Frog Rock," last in the hands of a secret caretaker (the late Bob Mott), was refurbished under new, secret hands.

Odd animal sitings abounded. A mountain lion, the long-disputed Cornwall inhabitant, was spotted by an adamant Jan Tenney on Route 128. She, unfortunately, could not get close enough for a definitive photo, one that might get the state to concede the animals do in fact exist around here.

Town Street resident Tom Levine had no trouble getting a photo of a young bull moose, an undisputed resident species, that spent some time in his Town Street yard.

It was a girls’ year at Cornwall Consolidated School, where both the softball and basketball teams took the Region One championship — the latter in an undefeated season. Cornwall Free Library added more computers and wireless Internet.

Cornwall can even make voting exciting. August’s Democratic primary brought out a remarkable 73 percent of voters, by far the best in the state. It earned the town a nod from the governor.

Scoville Farm left the dairy business. West Cornwall Market closed after three profitless years. Clarke Outdoors, hoping for a good recreational season to hang its hat on, struggled through another dissappointing summer. The year ended with a record stretch of no discernible snow accumulation. At Mohawk Mountain, no snow means no fun. The 60th season opened weeks late, with sporadic temperatures that played havoc with snowmaking and conditions. But the intrepid crew there managed to get six trails open by New Year’s Day.